


New Endeavours: Volume 1

by ChristaWolf, LonghaulHoofer



Series: New Endeavours [1]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Star Trek
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 09:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 63,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9172207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristaWolf/pseuds/ChristaWolf, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonghaulHoofer/pseuds/LonghaulHoofer
Summary: The first year of adventures for Captain Gemini Shadow and the crew of the USS Endeavour.





	1. Where No Girl Has Gone Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Endeavour crew are sent to a planet that has been shrouded in everlasting night. Nightmare Moon herself has returned, and she wants Captain Shadow to join her.

The dedication ceremony of a new starship was always a happy occasion, and this time was no different. At this ceremony was small collection of Starfleet officers, among them Jean-Luc Picard, William T. Riker, and Gem's parents, along with the four ruling Princesses of Equestria and the five other Element Bearers, and of course, the crew of the Endeavour.

Princess Celestia spoke first. "Ladies, gentlemen, mares, and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the maiden voyage of a new starship, the USS Endeavour. She will be captained by Gemini Shadow, the first daughter of former captain Orion Shadow. Her crew consists not only of Terran humans, but of Vulcans, Klingons, and of course, human-pony hybrids like herself. Captain Shadow, would you please step up to the lectern?"

Gem nodded and did so, wearing her dress uniform, as were all the other crew members. "Thank you, your majesty. This day has been a long time coming, and I am immeasurably glad to see it arrive once and for all. I am honoured to be following in the hoofsteps of my father in piloting the vessel he once commanded, and it is my fondest wish that I am half the captain he was."

She breathed deeply and continued. "I have always dreamed of space, ever since I was a little girl. Today, I fulfill my lifelong dream, and I lead Equestria into a brave new future. As the first of a new species, it falls on me to be the best captain and ambassador that I possibly can, and with such a wonderful crew by my side, I see a bright future ahead.” She closed her eyes, then spoke slowly. “To paraphrase Zephram Cochrane: These shall be the voyages of the starship Endeavour. Its seven-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, and new civilizations, to boldly go where no girl has gone before.” Reopening them, she smiled. “Or, in a word: Geronimo.” Everyone applauded.

* * *

_“Captain's log, Stardate 80467.8. USS Endeavour, Captain Gemini Shadow commanding. We are currently en route to the planet Tenebra, a small world located in the Faust system. Curiously, this world is shrouded in an apparently natural everlasting night.”_

Gem strode onto the [bridge](http://bit.ly/2JXj4en) from the turbo lift door and sat down in the center seat. "Report, please!" She wore a late 2360s [uniform](http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/stmagazine/tnguniforms2.jpg), a black tunic with red shoulders with an open collar. Beneath that was a purple-grey undershirt. The bridge was, aesthetically, a smaller version of the much larger Galaxy-class style, with the tactical station at the back, behind the chairs for the captain, first officer, and counselor, with the helm and navigation consoles at the front. The right side of the bridge was where the engineering station and the door to Gem's ready room were located, and the left side contained the science station.

“We will arrive at the planet in five minutes, Captain,” Ensign Aria Blaze announced from her console.

“Captain, Starbase 2196 has been notified that we will be delayed, and they will alert Doctor Hoofer,” Adagio said from her station.

“Did Starfleet specify what was so urgent about this mission?” asked Commander Raven Shadow, sitting to Gem's right.

“Starfleet reported receiving a subspace message three days ago asking for immediate assistance. All attempts to contact them since have met with silence,” replied Adagio.

“Sensors show no other vessels in the area, Captain,” said Lieutenant Commander Twilight Sparkle. “In fact, readings from the planet show no activity at all. There’s life forms there, but nothing’s active.”

“Automated message beacon, Captain, switching to speakers,” Adagio reported, tapping on her console.

The voice over the speakers sounded flat and void of emotion, repeating the same phrase over and over: “Luna adorent ante somnum. Et nox ultra in perpetuum.”

"I don't like the look of this," Gem says to Raven. Listening to the mysterious voice, she frowns. "I believe that's Latin... Can anyone translate that into English, please?"

"I can, Captain," says Twilight. She adjusts her glasses and quickly looks through a dictionary installed on a PADD. "It means something like 'Worship the moon before going to bed, and the night will last forever.'

Gem shivers. "That sounds eerily familiar... I'm afraid of what that might mean."

"Like what?" Raven asks. "Could we be about to meet a bunch of Nightmare Moon cultists?"

Twilight shrugs. "It's possible, Commander... Some alien cultures have been known to imitate aspects of Earth culture over the centuries, after all. Perhaps they are doing the same for Equestrian culture."

“But, why this particular facet of our culture? And, why isn’t anyone responding to us?” asked Raven.

“Entering standard orbit, Captain,” Ensign Sonata Dusk said from the helm.

On the viewscreen, the planet appears to be illuminated by the sunlight in a normal fashion. A haze of dark purple covers the entire planet from the upper atmosphere. No surface lights are visible from the cities in the darker areas of the planet.

“We’re being hailed!” Adagio said. “Audio only.”

“On speakers,” Gem ordered. Adagio tapped on her console.

“So, you have come to grovel at the hooves of Nightmare Moon,” said a sultry voice. “You will never release this place from my eternal night! Finally, I reclaim my rightful place as ruler over all, and my night shall last – FOREVER!!!”

Gem feels her blood turn to ice but tries to hide her fear as she replies, "This is Captain Gemini Shadow of the Federation starship Endeavour, we have not come to grovel at anyone's hooves! We are here on a peaceful mission of exploration! It is our understanding that some of the population have requested immediate assistance, but we don't know why. Will you allow us to find out?"

The bridge crew listens intently. After a few moments of total silence, Raven shrugs. “Technically, they didn’t say ‘no’ to our request...”

“We have the coordinates of the initial distress call,” Twilight reports, “in a small village just south of the capital city.”

“Captain, if this is what we think it is, we’re going to need every ounce of Equestrian magic we have,” Lieutenant Sunset Shimmer advises.

"Agreed, Lieutenant," Gem says, rising. "Be on your guards ladies, if this really is Nightmare Moon... We can't afford to be unprepared."

* * *

Down below, eight humanoids appear in the town square of the village and look around. "Any signs of life, Ms. Sparkle?" Gem asks quietly.

Twilight sweeps the area with her tricorder. “Life signs detected, Captain. Everyone seems to be hiding in their houses.”

“So an ancient Equestrian legend has come back to terrorize a distant planet,” Emerald said, looking around the village, “and if we hope to stop it, we’ll need to use all of our magical ability.”

Raven nods. “That’s the long and short of it,” she replies.

 A cloaked figure comes out of one of the houses. Instinctively, Adagio draws her phaser and levels it at the approaching figure. “Please, don’t … I am the one who sent the distress call. I am Councillor Crepuscolo, of the Tenebraean Ruling Council. You are from the Federation?”

Gem nods, "I am Captain Gemini Shadow, and this is my bridge crew: Commanders Raven Shadow and Twilight Sparkle, Lieutenant Commanders Adagio Dazzle and Emerald Wave, Lieutenant Sunset Shimmer, and Ensigns Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. Councillor, is there a place we can talk without fear of being overheard?"

Crepuscolo nods. “This way,” she says, leading them back into her house.

Closing the door behind them, Crepuscolo removes her cloak. “We were uncertain if anyone would be coming to our aid. She smashed the transmitter while we were attempting to contact the Federation.”

"That would explain the long silence," Adagio says.

"Has she been here very long?" Twilight asks. "We were wondering why it was this particular facet of our culture that you chose to emulate, but it seems she found you instead."

“She arrived quite suddenly, almost as if out of the mists themselves,” Crepuscolo remembered. “One of our lead councillors started acting very strangely, and before we knew it, she had turned into this.” Crepuscolo held out a [crude photograph](http://bit.ly/2cilBQs) and sighed. “She used some strange power to block out the sunlight, and immediately declared herself ruler of Tenebra. All who opposed her were subject to her strange magic, which made them her willing servants.”

"That sounds like Nightmare Moon, alright," Twilight says. "In our world, she was the corrupted form of one of our ruling princesses, Luna. Over a thousand years ago, she tried to bring about everlasting night, but was imprisoned in the moon by her older sister, Celestia. She returned a few years ago and was restored to her true form as Luna, but it seems like some of her managed to survive."

"It's odd seeing her as a human," Raven remarks as she holds the photograph. "I would've thought she turned herself into a pony by now."

“She’s since disappeared from view. No one has seen her sine the takeover. Can you help us get our world back?” Crepuscolo asked pleadingly.

"Of course we can," Gem says, placing a hand on top of Crepuscolo's for reassurance. "We just have to find her first... She might be in the capital city, and if that's the case, she'll be in a palace or wherever it is you do your governing... So let's start there." She looks back to Crepuscolo. "What's the fastest way to your capital?"

She points on a map. “This road leads to the capital city. It’s about five kilometers away, by your Federation measurements.”

Adagio nods. “I think we’ve covered more ground than that in the Academy, during the Hell Week training.”

“So you’re saying, nice night for a stroll, Lieutenant Dazzle?” Emerald asked.

“I am hopeful you can defeat this, whatever it is, and return our councillor to us. Good luck to all of you,” Crepuscolo said, bowing deeply.

"Thank you, I think we'll need it," Gem replies, and the eight of them begin the long walk to the capital.

"Remain alert," Raven orders as they go along. "We might be intercepted by some of her servants."

* * *

“Let’s stop here for a moment,” Gem said after the crew had covered about a kilometer and a half. “Scan the area and see what might be out here.”

Twilight and Emerald headed into a patch of wooded area, checking their tricorders, when a voice called out to them. “You don’t have to be bound to her will, you know,” the honeyed voice seductively whispered. “Join me, and I will give you whatever your fondest desire is.” A purple mist flowed around their feet. “Money, power, both … all within your reach if you just agree to follow me.”

Emerald laughed derisively. "As if I'm supposed to believe that," she says. "I wasn't born yesterday, Nightmare! I don't need money or power, all I need is a tall ship, a star to sail her by, and good friends to keep me company! I already have all of that, there's nothing you can give me!"

Almost instantly, Emerald is knocked to the ground. The mist concentrates around Twilight. “And what of you, my little scientist? I can give you the materials you need to create the most impressive discoveries , you can become the most famous scientist in all of the known universe!”

"But would it bring me any joy?" Twilight asks the voice. "There's not a science officer in all the Federation who got where they did because they did their work on their own. Without friends, I would have no one to share in my discoveries, and if I can't have that, I might as well not be a scientist at all!" She helps Emerald to her feet and dusts her off. "You okay, LSBFF?"

Emerald nods, "I'm okay, Sparks... Thanks." The mist fades away as quickly as it arrived. Twilight and Emerald return to the group.

“She’s definitely around, Captain,” Twilight says, “and in non-corporeal form. She just tried to entice Emerald and I into joining her.”

"It's a good thing she didn't get either of you," Gem says in relief. "Strengthen your mental defences everyone, and above all else, stay close. Don't wander off alone, you'll just be making yourselves targets." As she speaks, the ground starts to shake and give way, separating everyone from each other.

Twilight and Emerald find themselves on the main road to the capital. Sunset, Gem, and Raven find themselves on one path, while Adagio, Aria, and Sonata find themselves forced to follow a different one.

“It stretches along the main road, and we can’t get to either of you,” Twilight calls out. “We’ll follow the road and see if we can all meet up again by the time we get to the capital.”

“Very well,” Raven responds, “let’s all get moving again. Be careful and be alert!”

Gem's group begins moving along their path, after checking to make sure no one had been hurt. "I wonder what caused that earthquake," Gem says thoughtfully. "I would've thought this area of land was relatively stable."

"It was probably her," Raven guesses. "Remember when she split Aunt Twilight from the other Bearers when she first returned? This is just like that!"

Sunset nods. “I just hope the other three will be okay. I don’t know what their siren heritage will have them do if they’re tempted.”

* * *

Adagio took the lead down the path, with Aria and Sonata sweeping along with their tricorders. “Seeing anything?” Adagio asked.

“Nothing so far,” Aria replied. “Not so much as a blip.”

 Sonata scans ahead. “Something’s there, but I can’t figure out what it is. The reading don’t match anything on record.”

Moving cautiously ahead, the three see what would appear to be an Equestrian version of a siren. Her scales are dark purple, and her fins are jet black. “I see my kin have arrived,” the siren purred.

"Who are you?" Aria asks, jabbing her phaser into the siren's scaly chest. "State your name and intention!"

"But Aria, what if she's one of us?" Sonata asks.

Aria glares at her. "What are the chances that another siren, just like us, is wandering around all the way out here, light years away from Equestria?"

"That's enough, you two," Adagio barks. "Let her talk."

The dark siren pushes the phaser away with a hoof, and flicks her tail under Adagio’s chin. “I knew you’d be the voice of reason. Speaking of voice, have you mesmerized the weak-minded among you yet with your special gift?”

Sonata looks confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Why, it’s in all of us, sweetie,” the dark siren said, “and you three have never been allowed to explore that power to its full potential?” She shakes her head. “Pity, really. It puts you among the gods. Gee, if only there was a way to help you realize your true potential...”

"And spend the rest of our lives looking for negative energy and causing all manner of chaos?" Adagio says. "Not our style. We sing for pleasure, not to harm others." The other two nod in agreement as Sonata chimes in, "Yeah, like with that Nightmare Night concert in Ponyville!"

The dark siren hisses. “You will regret bringing up that mockery, dearies.” She quickly dissolves into a fine purple mist and is carried away by a sudden gust of wind.

Quickly, Adagio taps her comm badge. It doesn’t activate. “Great, we can’t warn the captain that it’s heading their way. Come on, let’s keep moving, maybe we can find the way out of here.” The three regroup and move down the path.

* * *

“How far have we gone?” Gem asks Raven and Sunset.

“Four kilometers total,” Sunset replies. “So far, nothi--”

Sunset is cut off by a loud rumbling. Gem shoves Raven and Sunset away as two stone projections erupt from the ground on either side of the path, with another stone coming up through the middle, blocking Gem off from the other two.

Raven and Sunset study the stone with their tricorders. “It’s too thick, we can’t cut through it with our phasers,” Raven says dejectedly.

“But, do you really need her?” says a voice behind them. They turn to see an image of a changeling queen wearing armour, her mane and tail colored like Sunset’s hair. “This could have been you, Sunset Shimmer, had you not fallen in with the wrong crowd. You could have had an army at your disposal, doing anything you commanded. And yet, here you are, a mere lackey.” She turned to Raven. “And you … the younger one, always having to follow along and do what big sis says. Never getting any respect of your own, always standing in your sister’s shadow… wouldn’t you rather take the lead for once in your pathetic little life?”

"I don't need an army," Sunset says defiantly, crossing her arms and frowning at her changeling double. "Because I have them: Raven, Gem, Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Twilight, and Emerald. They're my family, and our love is more powerful than any army."

Raven snarls and has to be restrained from punching the changeling in the muzzle. "Don't you DARE talk about my sister that way!" She hisses. "I follow her because I can trust her to always do what's right, no matter what! She's the best sister in the world, and she'll be a great captain too, I know it! Who wouldn't want to serve under her? I can't imagine a better place for me than at her side!"

“You are fools, and fools deserve nothing better than to trampled upon. Soon, you will know the true nature of my being, and not just some pathetic foal’s story either! You, like the wretches upon this planet, will bow before my mighty hooves! And soon, you too will tremble in fear before Nightmare Moon!!” With a loud roar, the stone walls crumble to dust, revealing Gem calmly thumbing through some data on her tricorder. She lifts her head and smiles. “You should know I heard every word you two said.”

Raven and Sunset embrace Gem and smile warmly. "And we meant it too," Sunset says. "We love you, Gem. And we always will."

The three resume their walk down the path. A short distance away, the three spot Sonata, Aria, and Adagio where the trails merge.

Sonata nudges Adagio. “I found them.” She points.

Adagio smiles in relief. "Thank goodness!" The three sirens rush over and embrace the other trio. "Did she try to tempt you too?"

Raven nods, "She tried, but it didn't work. You weren't able to warn us?"

Aria shakes her head. "Our combadges quit working... We should find Twilight and Emerald too, and see if they're okay."

“Someone call for us?” Emerald said as she and Twilight made their way towards them. They all embraced quickly before Raven pointed down the path. One building was illuminated while the rest were completely dark. “I’m guessing that’s where she’s hiding out. What’s the plan?”

"Go in and use the power of friendship on her, I guess," Raven says. "It seems to work for Aunt Twilight and the rest." The others nod and proceed toward the building in question. The clouds begin to gather and low rumbles of thunder are heard in the distance as they approach.

“I don’t recall Mom saying that Nightmare Moon was so overly dramatic,” Twilight said as the group approached the building that served as the home of the ruling council. Slowly walking up the steps, Gem pushed open the huge wooden door. It opened silently, and the eight walked into the grand foyer.

A blinding flash and a peal of thunder stunned the crew. Sunset was the first to notice when the crew slowly regained their senses. “Gem’s gone!” she cried.

“Finally, I get to speak to somepony in power,” Nightmare Moon said, standing in front of the body of Gem, still sprawled on the floor, attempting to regain her eyesight. “We really are the same, you and I. There’s no need for us to be at odds with each other.”

"You're insane," Gem replies, blinking several times as she finally is able to take in Nightmare's form. "Ever since we came here you've tried to split up my crew and turn them on each other. What do you really want, Nightmare Moon? And why me?"

Nightmare chuckled. “I wasn’t trying to turn them against each other, I was trying to find worthy beings to rule by my side as we crush these weak bipeds under our hooves.” She moved closer to Gem. “I’ve been inside your mind, Gemini. I know the pain these creatures have caused you, and I know there’s a small part of you that wants revenge. Let that seed grow and be my second, and revenge will truly be yours!” She smiled, her sharp teeth glinting in the dim light of the room. “Yes, I know, you are part biped, but I know, deep down, you truly identify as a pony. Equestrian to the end, the first of a new species, one that can sit in power over these weaklings. It’s within your reach, all you need to do is take it.”

Gem has sudden flashes of another self, evil and crazed, laughing maniacally as she murders a group of innocent humans. She shakes her head to clear the vision away. "No... I will not join you, Nightmare Moon. Not now, not ever." She holds up her hand for Nightmare to see and wiggles her fingers. "Look at you now, you're as human as me. We do not have hooves. We may be ponies at heart, but we can't deny the other truth: that we are also more than that. More than pony, more than human, we are something new. I don't need to rule over anyone, and I wouldn't want to. Those weak bipeds you speak of are my friends, they are my family. And without them, I am hardly a captain at all." She stands tall. "I choose to embrace both parts of me, the human and the equine! And as for you?" She offers Nightmare her hand. "You can do the same. Come with us, we'll find you a place where you can grow and flourish. You don't have to choose between one or the other, when you can be both. Will you come?"

Nightmare’s image shivers, and with a bright flash she is once again in full alicorn form. Behind her is a humanoid trapped inside a magical bubble, appearing unconscious. “Look behind me and see what you align yourself with! See how weak and easily to manipulate she is! And you want me to throw all of that away and live among these pathetic creatures in peace? Never!” A bolt streaks from her horn, striking at Gem’s feet. “I gave you the chance to be a goddess, and you refused it. Now, I shall see you destroyed. Pity, really...”

The sound of footsteps echo through the empty halls. Soon, the entire crew is standing with Gem, facing down Nightmare Moon. Twilight lets out a soft, low whistle. “The books didn’t do her justice.”

"You are so convinced that pony kind is superior that you threaten to kill anyone who dares to contradict you. That's the true pity. Humans can be just as beautiful as ponies can be, but if you refuse to acknowledge it.... Then there's only one thing we can do." Each of the girls take each other's hands and they rise into the air, glowing with power as their hair lengthens and they sprout pony ears. When Gem opens her eyes, they're white. "I gave you a chance to become a better person, and you refused. Now you must reap the consequences." A rainbow appears, flying from the eight and wrapping itself around Nightmare before eventually dispersing in a flash of light. When the smoke clears, Nightmare is gone.

Sunlight gradually seeps in from the windows. The spell is broken. The bubble around the Tenebraean disappears, dropping her to the floor. She shakes her head, and with tears in her eyes, looks at Gem and asks, “Is the nightmare finally over?”

Gem nods, helping the woman up. "Yes... She is."

* * *

 _"Captain's log, supplemental: We have left Tenebra after liberating it from the clutches of Nightmare Moon, an ancient evil from Equestria's history. But something about my conversation with her troubles me, and I can't put my finger on why."_  

Gem wanders the ship to Sunset's office and activates the door chime. "Sunset, do you have a few moments to talk?"

The door slides open and Sunset ushers Gem into her office. “I always have time to talk, please come in, have a seat.” She directs Gem to a comfortable small sofa and sits down in an overstuffed chair next to her. “I could sense something was bothering you, ever since we left Tenebra. Tell me what’s got you feeling this way.”

Gem thinks for a moment, then speaks. "Before you all came in to join me, she tried to tempt me into ruling as her second... To crush the weak bipeds under our hooves, as she put it. Naturally, I refused... I am half pony -and- half human, and try as I might, I will never be able to fully embrace one side over another. But you..." She meets Sunset's eyes. "You were born a pony and became a human. You could've changed back if you wanted, but you didn't... Why?"

Sunset took a deep breath. “Gem, you know that I was orphaned at a very early age. I was placed into a foster home in Dodge Junction, before I had the good fortune to wind up in Ponyville. You know that part of the story.” She trembles a bit. “Before I got there, however, I found out my foster parents were a pony and a changeling. It was their plan to foster as many foals as possible to be turned into feeding vessels for the hive. They figured no one would miss them, being orphans and all. And I might have not suspected anything had I not seen my foster mom in changeling form that day. That was when I ran away, and kept doing so until I was transferred to Ponyville.”

Sunset took a sip of water and continued, “That first day at school, when I saw you and the others, you all looked so … happy. You had a happiness I dreamed about. And, when Princess Emerald made me human, I knew that this was what I truly wanted for me.” She touched Gem’s hand. “Gem, I haven’t forsaken my pony side, and I’m proud of my pony heritage. But this,” she said, indicating herself, “is what I was meant to be. I feel it in my heart.”

Gem embraces Sunset and smiles a little. "To be greater than the sum of our parts," she says at last. "I can appreciate that." Another thought occurs to her. "Your foster mother, the changeling... Do you know what happened to her?"

Sunset shook her head. “No, and I never really bothered to find out. So, I was a bit unnerved when I saw myself in changeling form as represented by Nightmare Moon. I don’t think I was more scared than I was at that particular moment.”

"I can understand that," Gem says, nodding. "I had a vision of myself... What I might've been like if I had accepted her offer." She shivers. "I hope I never have to find out for real." Then her badge beeps, and Aria's voice is heard: "Captain, we are approaching Starbase 2196."

“Very well, assume standard orbit, Miss Blaze,” Gem replies. “Shadow out.”

Sunset hears Aria’s announcement, and remembers, “Oh yes, the new doctor, Hoofer is it? What have you heard about him?”

"Where do I start," Gem says, as she and Sunset head back toward the bridge. "Another Equestrian human, like us... Trained at the Mayo Clinic on Earth... An absolute medical prodigy, inventing new techniques that the rest of Starfleet Medical couldn't even imagine. I wonder what he's like…"

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Sunset says as the two enter the turbolift. The doors close and the two are whisked away to the bridge.

* * *

Some minutes later, Gem and Raven transport down onto the starbase proper. It's a busy place, with people of all races bustling around here and there on business of their own. Gem looks to Raven. "I am hoping this doctor isn't going to be like the ones we had when we were girls," she says. "It'd be nice if one of them treated us as... Well, humans, and not biological experiments."

Sunset rolls her eyes. “Tell me about it. I felt less like a pony and more like a guinea pig every time I had to go there.” 

A door slid open and a very peeved individual stepped into the hallway. “All I know is, if I don’t get that luggage by 0600 tomorrow, I will personally come down here and geld each and every one of you with a rusty olive fork! You would think, as technologically advanced as Starfleet claims to be, they could perform a task that a trained CHIMP could do and NOT SCREW IT UP!!” He turns and starts to walk down the hallway, nearly colliding with Gem and Sunset. “Oh! Pardon me, ma’ams, I was a bit distracted. I’m about to report to a new posting aboard a ship called the Endeavour, and it appears I might be doing it sans luggage. I’m sorry I didn’t see you there.”

Gem stares at the new arrival for several moments and opens and closes her mouth several times before speaking. "Yes, well... Luckily, I am Captain Gemini Shadow of the Endeavour, and this is our ship's counsellor, Lieutenant Shimmer... You are Doctor Dustin Hoofer, I presume?"

Dustin sighs. “Well, nothing like making a great first impression. Indeed, I am Doctor Hoofer. It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. May I inquire how long we will be at starbase so I know how long I will have to perform my geldings should my luggage not materialize from the void?”

Gem thinks. "A week. That should give you time to settle in, assuming your luggage materialises eventually... And if it doesn't, well, we'll come up with something. In the meantime, would you like a tour of the ship?"

Dustin is about to reply when he spots a man slowly crumple to the deck. “One moment, please, Captain,” he says before rushing to the man’s side. He quickly checks for a pulse. Tapping his comm badge, he announces, “Medical emergency, corridor--” he checks for the wall plaque – “274A, cardiac arrest!” Barely hearing the acknowledgment, he places his hands over the man’s chest. Beginning to glow, pony wars and a mane sprout from his head, and a tail emerges from his backside. His hands begin to glow as well, brighter and brighter, until he releases a large discharge of electricity into the man’s chest. He checks again for a pulse, and smiles.

A medical crew arrives and Dustin informs them of the treatment he’s administered. As they bundle the man off to Sickbay, Dustin rejoins Gem and Sunset, his mane and ears starting to fade. “Now then, I believe you said something about a tour?”

The tour goes all the way through the ship as Dustin is introduced to each and every future patient aboard, including a young ensign that Emerald particularly likes. It ends in what will become Dustin's office. "And this is your office," Gem explains, gesturing around. "You can decorate it however you like, the same with your quarters. What do you think?"

“I think this is a lot roomier than the broom closet they gave me on board the Lexington,” Dustin says admiringly. “You’ve been very kind, Captain, considering our first meeting was a bit … unorthodox, let’s say. I hope I didn’t traumatize Lieutenant Shimmer too bad.”

"Actually, she and I were both very impressed with how you handled that man's heart attack," Gem says, smiling warmly. "Unorthodox you may be, but you are very good at your job." She thinks. "Actually... I think that describes everyone here, so you'll fit right in. Welcome aboard!"

Dustin smiles. “Thank you, Captain.”

“Captain Shadow to the bridge, please,” Raven’s voice announced over the intercom.

“Sounds like duty calls,” Dustin says with a grin. “Actually, I have to indoctrinate a group of medical professionals, so I guess we will talk later on?"

Gem nods, "Count on it. See you later!" And she heads off toward the bridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C: The similarity to the pilot episodes of MLP: FIM is absolutely intentional, since it’s a perfect illustration of how I view this series, as being a hybrid of MLP and Trek. The madwoman Gem imagines during her conversation with Nightmare Moon is her Mirror Universe counterpart, by the way.
> 
> L: When we did our first MLP/TNG crossover, I never had the idea that we’d create a whole world of stories about a pony/human hybrid crew galavanting around the galaxy. Shows you how much I know. The episode was a great way to introduce our characters, as well as illustrate that, even in the future, they still can’t keep track of a passenger’s baggage.


	2. Errand of Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Endeavour is sent back in time to the 2260s, where they meet Captain James T. Kirk and First Officer Spock. There, they help the Enterprise crew with negotiations between the Federation and the Organians, but the Klingons have something up their sleeve...

_"Captain's log, stardate 80566.6: The Endeavour is exploring a largely empty patch of space on the edge of the Alpha Quadrant. My first month as a captain has been surprisingly uneventful, save for the matter involving Nightmare Moon. Still, I would hardly call myself comfortable in the role I have been placed."_

The black depths of space float silently past Gem’s window while soft jazz music [plays](https://youtu.be/0Cs5nTArlm4) on an ancient gramophone record. The voice on the record sang “And every warm embrace… Was real as all those tears I've cried… ’Cos my poor heart aches… Each time-time-time-time…”

Sighing as the record got stuck in a groove, Gem got up to move the needle when the ship shook suddenly, sending her to the floor. Once things calmed down, she staggered to her feet and walked out onto the main bridge, taking her usual seat in the center chair. She speaks into her comm badge, deciding to get a damage report first. “Captain Shadow to engineering, what’s going on down there?”

Emerald’s voice comes back over the communicator, “I have good news and bad news, Gem. The good news is that our impulse drive is working normally, and there appears to be no other damage. The bad news is that our warp drive is at 40%. We’re starting repairs now, but it’ll be a while… I’m estimating 72 hours or so.”

Gem nodded, knowing Emerald couldn’t see her. “Acknowledged. Keep me updated. Shadow out.” She looks back up to her crew. “Ms. Sparkle, any idea what all that shaking was about?” she asked.

“According to our calculations, the anomaly moved us backwards in time,” Twilight Sparkle said, checking her readout.  “We appear to have arrived at stardate 3198.4.” She paused a moment to adjust her thick black glasses. “Sensors indicate we are approaching the planet Organia, which sits on the border between the Federation and Klingon territories.”

“I am detecting several ships in this sector, Captain,” Commander Adagio Dazzle announced from her tactical station.  “Several Klingon, one Starfleet vessel … it's the _Enterprise_ , ma'am.” 

“On screen, please,” Gem orders.  The screen reveals several Klingon shops squaring off with the Enterprise.  Gem studies the scene unfolding before her, eyes widening in surprise.  “What have we been drawn into?” she wonders.

“We're being hailed by the Enterprise,” Adagio announces.  “Audio only at this time.”

“Not just any Enterprise,” says Twilight, checking again, “The one captained by James T. Kirk.”

Gem drops her tea cup in surprise. “Good grief… now I’ve seen everything. Open a communications channel please, Miss. Dusk.” Sonata does so, and Gem speaks again, louder this time. “Hello! This is Captain Gemini Shadow of the USS Endeavour, Federation registry NCC-0326. With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

“This is Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu in temporary command of the Enterprise,” the voice announces over the speakers.  “The captain and first officer are below on the planet surface.  Are there other Federation ships close by?”

“Captain, we are detecting more Klingon ships entering the sector, at maximum warp, and apparently ready for a fight,” Adagio announces.

“Captain, with all due respect, unless the fleet is right behind you, I respectfully recommend a tactical withdrawal to rendezvous with our support.  My orders are plain: protect the Enterprise at all costs over the lives of the captain and first officer,” Sulu's voice said plainly.  

Gem turns to her first officer. "I hadn't quite expected to get thrown into the deep end of the pool quite so soon. What do you say? Do we fight or withdraw?"

“Captain, historical records show that the Enterprise was sent to this sector to attempt to negotiate with the Organians as an effort to prevent the Klingons from taking over the planet.  For some reason, I cannot access any records from further in the future.  I theorize that since we were brought here by the anomaly, we have a duty to assist Captain Kirk in his mission,” Twilight said, reading from her PADD.

“Staying to fight would be suicidal at the very least,” Adagio added.  “We are seriously out-gunned and would have no hope of surviving, let alone finding a way back to our time.  I suggest we follow the Enterprise, regroup with the fleet, and return.”

“If I may, Captain,” Twilight interjected, “we do have a database of Organian clothing from this period.  Perhaps we could also beam down to the planet and attempt to assist Captain Kirk while the Endeavour regroups with the fleet.”

Gem nods, "That sounds like an excellent course of action to me, you two." She turns back to Sulu. "Lieutenant, we've decided to withdraw and rendezvous with your support, as you recommended. Additionally, if your captain will permit it, we'd like to assist you in your negotiations with the Organians. How does that sound?"

“Communications are being jammed, we are unable to reach the captain at this time,” Sulu replied through a haze of static.  “Although I am certain that he will need some assistance, I cannot advise you one way or the other on that.  It will be your decision alone.  We will transmit coordinates for the rendezvous to you.”  

On the view-screen, more Klingon ships are arriving.  None seem to be taking an aggressive posture toward the two Federation vessels, instead taking positions around the planet.  “Again, with all due respect, whatever you decide to do, I would recommend it be done quickly.  We are preparing to leave orbit.  With luck, we'll see you again at the rendezvous.  Enterprise out.” The Enterprise quickly breaks orbit and, engaging their warp engines, streaks away from the planet.

Gem leans back in her chair. "Ms. Dusk, Ms. Blaze, follow that ship! In the meantime, I shall lead an away team to assist the Enterprise crew in their mission. Commander Raven, Ms. Sparkle, I'd like you to join me. We'll dress in traditional Organian garb and beam down as soon as possible, meet me in Transporter Room One. Ms. Dazzle, I'm placing you under temporary command until our return." 

“Understood, Captain,” Adagio says, stepping down from her tactical station and taking her place in the captain's chair.  Sonata and Aria quickly enter the course coordinates into their display terminals.  Raven, Gem, and Twilight stride briskly into the turbolift.

* * *

The three Starfleet officers materialize in what could best be described as the center of town.  Quickly blending in with the native population, Raven lets out a small gasp of sock as wave after wave of Klingon troops begin appearing, spreading out around the town.  For the most part, the Klingons don't acknowledge the townspeople, and simply do as they have been ordered.

“I believe that's him, Captain,” Twilight says softly, indicating with her gaze the two men leaving a nondescript building.  Raven studies the two and confirms, “Yes, that's definitely them.  We'll need to introduce ourselves, but how to do that without drawing unwanted attention?”

 "Well, we could take up false identities... masquerade as Organian citizens perhaps, at least until we get a moment alone with those two. Say my name is Cassiopeia, and go from there."

Raven looks at her skin tone, and the skin tones of the other two.  “I think they'll know we're not from around here.  Perhaps we could pass ourselves off as traveling entertainers,” she suggests.

“Here they come,” Twilight whispered, and waited until Kirk and Spock were close enough.  “Excuse me, good sirs, might we prevail upon you for a moment?” she said.

Kirk stopped, and smiled.  “Of course.  What can we do for you lovely ladies today?”

“Actually, we were wondering if we could help you,” Raven said, surreptitiously flashing a glimpse of her Starfleet communicator badge.  “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

Spock raised an eyebrow.  “Fascinating.  Perhaps we could use that building over there,” he said, nodding toward a nearby storage shed.

Kirk nodded.  “Very well.  Come on.”  The five walked toward the building, and once inside, Kirk asked, “Okay, just what is going on here, and who are you three?”

"I am Captain Gemini Shadow of the USS Endeavour, and this is my First Officer Commander Raven Shadow, and my Operations officer Lieutenant Commander Twilight Sparkle... we're also from roughly 136 years or so in Starfleet's future. A time anomaly sent us back here to this time and place, and so we thought we'd come down and help with your negotiations." She gives Kirk a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Captain. Your exploits are legendary. Will be legendary." She shakes her head, "As a friend of mine said once, wibbly wobbly timey wimey..." There's an awkward pause. She coughs. "Right... so! How are things here?"

“I can honestly say things could be a whole lot better,” Kirk said testily.  “In case you hadn't noticed, Captain, the entire planet has been occupied by the Klingons, and the Organians insist there's no trouble at all, that things will work out in the end.  They seen reluctant to resist, and we need to find a way to show them that resistance would be a better option than virtual slavery.”

“Captain Shadow,” Spock said, “how do you propose to assist us with our negotiations with the Organians, especially now that the Organians seem unwilling to entertain any notion of an alliance with the Federation?”

Gem sighs, and briefly pinches her forehead in a gesture Raven would find familiar, signalling frustration. Finally, she speaks. "Do we have a chance at salvaging this operation, or are we doomed?" she asks her fellow officers, dismayed. "Given the evidence before us, what -can- we do?"

“If there is anything working in our favor,” Twilight says, addressing both Kirk and Gem, “it's that the Klingons don't know about us.  As far as they're concerned, we're just some weird-skinned girls who pose no threat to anything they do.  We could use that to our advantage.”

Spock nods.  “Your hypothesis is sound.  Are you suggesting you could run espionage for us to alert us to the Klingons' movements and troop strengths throughout this city?”

Twilight nods, and Raven adds, “We're also not afraid to get our hands dirty, if it comes to that.  If, as you say, the Organians need to be shown that resistance can work to their advantage, we'd be willing to provide the lesson.”

Kirk nods.  “Okay, I'll give you a chance.  There's a report that the Klingons are establishing an ammo dump not far from the edge of town.  If you can get us the information, we can work together to destroy it, and hopefully get it through to the Organians that they can fight back!”

Gem nods. "Then let us begin at once. We haven't a moment to lose!" She salutes Kirk, and then smiles a little to Raven and Twilight. "Just like old times, girls... just like old times." And they head off, intending to find the ammo dump.

* * *

At the top of a high bluff overlooking the Organian city below, Commander Kor had established his base of operations.  Observations from Gem's away team revealed that the Klingons were establishing an ammunitions depot in the same area.  Being careful not to attract any attention from the Klingons, as  well as not gathering in groups larger than three by Kor's decree, plans were made to destroy the facility later that evening.

Under cover of darkness, five shadowed figures made their way along, ducking out of sight of guard patrols along the perimeter.  Twilight functioned as lookout, warning of approaching guards.

One such guard was rendered unconscious by Raven as Twilight continued to watch for patrols.  Gem aided Kirk and Spock in the destruction of the depot.  “Sonic grenades, with time-delayed fuses.  Various chemical weapons are stored here.  They should provide a most satisfactory display.”  Kirk nodded , and Spock dropped the grenade into a bin of explosives after setting the timer.

Gem motioned to her team to take cover while she, Kirk, and Spock ran for cover, Sock counting off the seconds remaining until detonation.

A loud boom rocked the are, and the area was illuminated by a brilliant light.  Explosion after explosion rocked the compound. Kirk turned to Spock and Gem.  “A most satisfactory display, wouldn't you say?” he said.

* * *

The next day, Gem and her crew were conducting their  observations in the town square when they saw Kirk and Spock being led away by several Klingons, with Commander Kor in the lead.  Raven turned to Gem.  “This doesn't look good, Captain, what should we do?”

Gem looked at her crew.  “I think it's time we spoke with the Organians ourselves, wouldn't you agree?”  The three walked toward the council chambers.

“Ah, there are the other visitors,” the leader of the council announced.  “I am Ayelbourne, the temporary head of the Council of Elders.  How may I assist you?”

"I am Captain Gemini Shadow of the USS Endeavour," Gem says crisply. "And I would very much like to know why you have allowed the Klingons to ruin the Federation's attempts at protecting you from further harm, starting with their original emissiaries being taken away for what I can only assume would be some... enhanced interrogation, shall we say."

Ayelbourne's expression never changed.  “They committed an act of violence,” he replied.  “We could not allow this to continue, So, we turned them over to prevent more violence from occurring.”

“What do you propose to do?  Are you going to perform more violent acts?” the one seated next to Ayelbourne asked of the crew.

Ayelbourne raised his hands.  “We can assure you, no harm will come to your friends.  We will not permit it to happen.”

Gem stares at them in disbelief. "The Klingons are one of the smartest warrior races in this galaxy, and you're worried about the actions of one Starfleet crew? Has it not occurred to you that the Klingons could and probably will do damage to your world that would make last night's events look like a summertime fireworks show? And now you've turned your would-be saviours to the hands of your enemies?" She facepalms. "I can't... I just... I cannot believe this is happening..."

Twilight raises a hand to speak. "What I believe my commanding officer is trying to say is that we are puzzled by your problem-solving methods. They seem to fly in the face of logic and good peace negotiations. Would you not consider allowing Starfleet to protect you from the Klingon menace?"

“As we have told the other captain,” Ayelbourne said quietly,  “we are in no danger.  The Klingons pose no threat to us.”

Raven quickly pulls Gem and Twilight aside.  “It's pretty obvious they aren't going to assist us, Captain.  I recommend we leave here and attempt a rescue on our own.  It would seem to be our only option.”

“I would caution that there are only five of us against an army. Granted, our time is probably limited, but we must be careful in our activities lest we suffer the same fate,” Twilight added.

"Impossible odds aren't always a bad thing," Gem points out. "You know what they say, never underestimate the underdogs." She takes out her magic screwdriver from a small holster and adjusts a few settings, then presses the button on the side, turning around in a circle. The buzzing noise starts out low, then gradually increases in pitch. Satisfied, she slips it back into its holster. "They're in a building just west of here," she informs them. "Let's be off!" And she walks in that direction, taking care not to alert the Klingons.

As Gem and her crew approach the citadel, they are astounded by the sheer force being used to simply protect their two Federation prisoners.  Armed guards stood at each entrance, with patrols doubled and constantly on the move.  Twilight took out her tricorder and scanned the area.  “Guards are stationed approximately every ten feet,” she said, turning the device off.  “It seems the illustrious commander does not want his prizes to escape.”  Raven taps both Gem and Twilight, and the three duck into the bushes s a guard patrol passes by.  Twilight turns to Gem.   “I can't be precise, but I would put our odds of success at seven thousand, eight hundred twenty-four point seven to one.”

"Our day just keeps getting better..." Gem heaves a sigh and turns to Raven. "Should we call for back up?"

Raven is about to respond when she sees something approaching.  She stares in disbelief.  “Looks like it's already arrived, Captain.”  Gem and Twilight turn to see Ayelbourne leading the two Starfleet officers down the path toward them.  “Good evening, Captain Shadow.  Would you care to join us?” he says, the same perpetual smile upon his face.

"I suppose so," Gem says, unable to believe her eyes. "How in the world did you manage that? You should've been killed a dozen times already!"

“We were never in any danger,” Aytelbourne said, “but the Klingons were planning to do great harm to Captain Kirk.  We cannot allow that to happen. We must go now, come with us to the council chambers.”  Ayelbourne leads the five down the path and back to the city.

A short time later, the five stand in the council chambers.  Twilight speaks to the council, “As you no doubt are aware, the Klingons do not let mercy and compassion stand in their way when they wish to obtain a goal, nor are they--”

She in interrupted by a voice over a loudspeaker.  “Attention!  All Organians, attention!  This is Commander Kor.  The two Federation prisoners have escaped.  Obviously, with outside aid!  They will be returned immediately.  So that you know we mean what we say … listen.”

The sound of Klingon phaser fire echoes through the chambers.  Kirk motions for everyone to take cover.  Gem and the others do so, yet the Organians remain seated as always.

The voice returns.  “In the courtyard of my headquarters, two hundred Organians have just been killed.  In two hours, two hundred more will die, and two hundred more after that, until the two Federation spies are turned over to us!  This is the order of Kor.”

"I'm not going to say I told you so," Gem says, looking cross. "They've just killed two hundred of your own people, and they intend to kill more. They do, in fact, mean you great harm. Will you let us protect you now?" She gestures not only to herself, but to Kirk and Spock as well. "We don't want to see anyone else die. You have a choice. Let us help, or watch as war comes to Organia. What are you going to do?"

'There will be no war here, Captain,” Ayelbourne says in his relaxed voice.  “No one has come to harm here.”

Kirk turns to Gem.  “Captain, it is plainly obvious to us that since the Organians refuse to do anything, it will be up to us to put a stop to this.  It is our plan to go to the citadel and stop Kor.  Will you and your crew assist us?”

"It would be my honor, Captain Kirk," Gem says with a nod, saluting. "They won't be expecting five Federation spies, will they girls?"

“Let's hope not, or this will be a very short mission,” Kirk replies.  After retrieving his weapons from their hiding place, the five set off to the citadel.

* * *

From their cover, Kirk points out two sentries on patrol.  “Set phasers on stun,” he orders. “Make no mistake, if things get worse, we will shoot to kill, is that clear?”  He sees everyone nod in agreement.  “Captain, can your team take out the sentries?” Kirk asks.

Gem nods, "They certainly can, Captain."

Raven grins, "You wouldn't believe the marks I got in school. One Shot Shadow, they used to call me." She aims her phaser and shoots the two sentries in swift succession, then says "Told ya."

Kirk nods.  “Impressive.  I'm glad you're on our side.  Let's go.”  The five run to the building, moving cautiously and quickly.  Overpowering a Klingon soldier along the way, the team learns that he was sent to round up another two hundred Organians.  After Spock renders him unconscious with a nerve pinch, the team quickly moves to Kor's office, busting in and taking the Klingon commander by surprise.  Spock disarms him as Kirk and Gem keep their weapons trained on him.  The rest keep lookout on the door.

"So you're the fellow who's been causing trouble all day," Gem says, looking at Kor with a disappointed expression. "I sometimes forget what the Klingons were like during this time period..." She keeps her grip on her weapon tight, though it's clear she doesn't like holding it. "This is ordinarily the point where I would offer you a jelly baby, but you've been a very bad boy, Commander Kor... killing two hundred innocents just to make yourself look important." She sighs heavily. "I loathe your type, I always have... we pacifists tend to."

Kor smiled.  “Your words are quaint … and quite meaningless.”  He moves to his seat and sits down.  “As we speak a Federation fleet is on its way here.  The Klingon fleet is standing ready to meet them.”  He leans back in his chair.  “We will triumph, of course.  It is because we are the superiors in this war.  War is a game to us, and it is a game we do not lose.”  He chuckled.  “Think about it – high above our heads, the destiny of the galaxy is being decided for the next ten thousand years!  May I offer you a drink, and toast the victory of the Klingon Empire?”

Gem shakes her head, "No, I don't think so... the bloodshed of further innocents tends to leave a bad taste in one's mouth, and all the mint toothpaste in the world won't solve it." She glances over to her own crew. "What do you say, girls? Should we surprise him with a secret weapon of our own? Provide him with a taste of our home, perhaps?"

Kor rises and walks from behind the desk, where he is quickly grabbed by Kirk and Spock.  “You still don't understand,” Kor says smugly.  “We Klingons are superior because we function as a unit.  Each piece working as a part of a greater whole, always under surveillance.  Even it's most trusted commanders … always under surveillance.”  He glances up to the wall.  The five follow his gaze toward a black box with a light on it … a video and audio monitor that suddenly goes dark.  

“Quick, cover the door!” Kirk orders as five Klingons burst through.  Each person raises their weapons and screams in pain, dropping them to the floor.  The combatants then attempt to grab their foes, only to scream in pain once again.   Kor grabs a dagger from his desk, only to fling it away in agony.  

Aboard the Endeavour, the crew jump from their seats with a cry of pain, as the crew of the Enterprise does.

As the two factions stand clutching their hands, Ayelbourne and the council approach.  “Gentlemen, and ladies, we cannot allow you to harm each other.  We have put a stop to your war.”

"I noticed that," Gem says dryly, still wincing from the pain she'd felt. "But how? Some sort of heat-generating spell? The power must have been immense! I've never seen anything like it!"

“All weapons, and even yourselves, radiate a heat of three hundred fifty degrees.  Your weapons are deactivated,” says the second Organian.

“It's some sort of trick!” Kor snarls.  

Raven touches her communicator badge, while Kor uses his communicator to talk with his fleet.  “Shadow to Endeavour, Lieutenant Dazzle, report!”

Adagio stood beside the command chair, as the rest of the bridge crew stood by their consoles, clutching their hands in pain.  “Dazzle here, Commander.  It's incredible, every surface on the ship felt like fire!”  The lights on board the ship dimmed.  Adagio studied the power readouts.  “All power has been cut, except to life support.  All weapons banks dead, no engines to speak of.”

On the planet surface, Ayelbourne spoke.  “Unless both parties agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities, all of your armed forces, wherever they may be, will be immediately immobilized.”

“We find interference in other people's affairs disgusting, but you have left us no choice,” said the second Organian.

Gem quickly magics and then touches her own communicator, using the fabric of her uniform to keep from burning her hand. "To all Federation ships in the immediate area, this is Captain Gemini Shadow of the USS Endeavour. Do us all a favor and cease hostilities at once."

Kor closes his communicator.  “It's true.  Our entire fleet, helpless, unable to do anything.”

Ayelbourne maintains his usual stoic look.  “We stand on the homeworld of the Klingon Empire,  and we stand upon the home planet of the Federation.  All of your combat forces throughout the galaxy have been completely disabled.”  He addresses Kirk.  “You were concerned about the supposed deaths of our people.  I can assure you, no one has died on this planet for uncounted thousands of years.”

“Both of your people should leave this place.  Your hostilities cause beings like us great pain,” the second Organian said.

Gem turns to address Kor. "I speak to you not as an enemy, Commander, but as a fellow officer. As you have probably guessed, my crew and I come from a future point in time. By the 25th century, Klingons and the Federation stand not as combatants, but shoulder to shoulder as friends, sisters, and brothers. And as our friends here have made plain, there will be no war here today. So... you haven't lost anything, if it helps. Truce?" She offers her hand.

Kor stares warily at Gem's hand.  “Impossible!  The Empire will never be friends with the Federation!” he snarls.  

“Wait, what do you mean, 'beings like us?'” Twilight asked, curious.

“Millions of years ago, we evolved beyond the need for physical form,” Ayelbourne said.  “We must go now, and we ask that you do the same.”  The Organians began to glow, brighter and brighter.  Everyone gathered in the room was forced to shield their eyes from the intense light.  The Organians glowed as bright as a star, and finally faded out, leaving nothing behind.

“Fascinating.  Beings of pure energy.  Apparently, the Organians appear to be a far above us on the evoluntionary scale as we are … to the amoeba,” Spock remarked.

Gem's comm badge beeped.  “Endeavour to Captain Shadow.  Systems are returning to normal, and it appears the anomaly has opened.  We're waiting to beam your away team aboard.”

"Well, it was worth a try..." Gem drops her hand. At the beep, she presses the badge. "Just a moment, I have some goodbyes to make." She looks to Captain Kirk. "Time for us to go back home, I think... and to our own time, too, somehow. But before we leave..." She gives him a warm smile. "It was lovely to meet you, Captain, and an honor to serve alongside you. Like I said before, your exploits aren't forgotten in the Starfleet my crew and I know best. They are remembered."

Kirk nods and smiles.  “Thank you, Captain.  I have a feeling your exploits will be just as legendary.  Safe travels.”

Spock gives the Endeavour's crew the Vulcan salute.  “I wish you peace, and long life.  It was an honor to serve alongside you.”

"And you," Twilight says, as the three join hands. Gem presses her badge. "Shadow to Endeavour, three to beam up." And in a shimmer of light, they are gone.

* * *

Back aboard the Endeavour at last, Gem stretches and then sits in her chair. "Good to be back... what a fascinating bunch the Organians are, hm?"

“A true once-in-a-lifetime meeting, Captain,” Twilight agreed, “and a chance to witness a pivotal point in Klingon/Federation relations.  I'd read about it in the history books, but to be a part of it … words cannot describe it.”

"Nothing like a front-row seat to history, that's for sure..." Remembering something, she presses her badge again. "Captain Shadow to Engineering, everything alright down there?"

Emerald's voice comes back, "Aye-aye, ma'am! That heat thingy the Organians threw at us is fixed, as is the warp drive."

Gem smiles. "Wonderful news! Thank you! Shadow out." She turns back to the crew. "Miss Blaze, can we go home now? I'm looking forward to being back in our own time."

“Aye, captain. Course laid in,” Aria replied.

“Ahead Warp One.  Engage,” Gem commanded.  Sonata tapped her console, and the Endeavour moved through the anomaly and back into her own time, the anomaly closing as they passed through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L: ST:DS9 did a similar thing using the TOS episode “The Trouble With Tribbles,” having Captain Sisko and crew going back to that time to thwart a Klingon plot to assassinate Captain Kirk. We, instead, opted to send Gem and crew back to the time of the Organian contact from the TOS episode of the same name. This may have been Gem’s first inkling that being a starship captain wasn’t going to be as easy as she may have thought, and that the most obvious solution isn’t necessarily the option that’s going to work.
> 
> C: What strikes me is that most of these episodes were done during Trek’s 50th, so what better way to honor that than by having our newly-minted captain visit the one that started it all? I think, inwardly, Gem was ecstatic at getting to meet two living legends in the forms of Kirk and Spock, in their prime. As Janeway (Gem’s other inspiration) said once, “Space must have seemed a whole lot bigger back then. It's not surprising they had to bend the rules a little. They were a little slower to invoke the Prime Directive, and a little quicker to pull their phasers. Of course, the whole bunch of them would be booted out of Starfleet today. But I have to admit, I would have loved to ride shotgun at least once with a group of officers like that.” 
> 
> This was also the first New Endeavours story we ever wrote, and I think it shows. The previous one was actually written as the last story for the volume 1 writing block, which might (to me at least) explain why the girls feel like a cohesive team already, whereas in this story, Gem is very obviously inexperienced. She's never had to face a situation like the one Kirk and Spock do here, and it shows in how she approaches the situation. She doesn't take being a captain seriously yet, and Kirk picks up on it.


	3. Blood and Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew finds a derelict Galaxy-class vessel has been taken over by a parasitic species of bloodworms. The ship's doctor, Dustin Hoofer, must do all he can to save Captain Shadow when she inadvertently allows herself to be bitten.

_“Captain's log, stardate 80584.5: While enroute to Starbase 207 for relief following our encounter with the anomaly that sent us backwards in time, The Endeavour has encountered a starship drifting in space. We are moving in to investigate.”_

Gliding slowly through space, the USS Endeavour slowly approached the drifting vessel. All of her shields were up and her weapons systems armed. The derelict ship simply floated on, carried by unseen currents in the flow of space. 

On the bridge of the Endeavour, Captain Gemini Shadow and crew stared intently at the view screen. “Any answer to our hails, Commander Dazzle?” 

Adagio looked down at her readout screen. “Negative, Captain. Communications appear to be working but there's no response.” She taps a few more controls on her panel. “Weapons and shields are functional but off-line, life support systems appear operational.” 

“So why isn't anyone answering?” Gem wondered aloud. “Miss Sparkle, any luck identifying that ship?” 

“Yes, ma'am,” Twilight replied. “Ship's identifying beacon lists it as registry number NCC-71820 ... the Magellan. Galaxy-class ship, over a thousand on board at last deployment. Reported missing nine days ago, when no contact was established with the ship at regular checkpoints.” 

Gem stared at the screen as the Magellan grew larger as the Endeavour approached. She takes out a pair of glasses from a pocket of her uniform and puts them on. “Galaxy class ... I haven't been aboard one of those since I was a little girl... Miss Dazzle, any other ships in the vicinity?” 

“No, ma'am, no other ships detected.” 

Gemini sighed. “I have to know what happened over there. Miss Dazzle, Miss Sparkle, you will accompany me on an away team to the Magellan. Commander Shadow, contact Doctor Hoofer and have him meet us in Transporter Room 3. Advise him of the situation. Ladies, with me.” 

* * *

Gemini, Dustin, Twilight, Adagio, and two medical techs materialized in the gangway deep on deck 12. All six were wearing environmental suits. “Doctor, are you sure this is necessary? Life support is working normally,” Gem stated 

“Captain, there's supposed to be over a thousand people on this ship, and so far we're the only ones still moving around,” Dustin replied. “Something is strong enough to knock all of them out of commission, and I don't want it back aboard the Endeavour. Suits stay on until we go through decon.” He took out his tricorder and biosensor, and swept the air. “No contaminants in the air, so whatever it was isn't airborne in nature.” 

“Miss Dazzle, Miss Sparkle, let's check the bridge and download the ship's logs. Doctor, I trust you'll be in sickbay?” Gem asked. 

“Best place to start. If their CMO had any information about what happened there, I might be able to build on it. Call if you need me.” Dustin and the techs headed toward the main sickbay while Gem and the others headed for the turbolift. 

* * *

Gem, Twilight, and Adagio were not prepared for the sight that greeted them on the bridge. The entire crew was strewn about the bridge, in various stages of decomposition. Dried blood coated the instrument panels and carpeting. 

Twilight looked ill. “What happened here?” she asked, a quaver in her voice. 

Gemini looked around, “I wish I knew .. and I hope our good doctor finds out. Begin downloading the logs, I'm gong to check the Ready Room.” 

Entering the Ready Room, Gemini found the captain sprawled across his desk. It appeared that his skin had split under his tunic, a dark patch visible on his back. Gem removed a glove and patted the captain's hand. “We will find out what happened, I promise you.,” she said softly. She put her glove back on and began downloading the captain's personal logs. 

Down in Sickbay, Dustin let out a low whistle. Every biobed was filled, the life sign indicators all pegged at zero. “Whatever it was hit them hard and fast. Ever seen anything like this before?” he asked the med tech standing with him. 

“Not even in a simulation,” the tech replied. 

The doors opened and the second tech walked in. “Same scene in the starboard sickbay, sir. Even the isolation ward is full. No life signs anywhere.” 

Dustin nodded. “Okay. You two, start downloading the chief medical officer's log. Then, meet me in the lab, I want to see what tests they might have had going before ... well, explodey-boom time.” The two techs nodded and headed for the office. 

Dustin looked around the lab, and saw a slide mounted on the microscope. He looked closely at the slide through the eyepiece. He didn't like what he saw. A small creature, looking more like a piece of vermicelli with antennae, was fixed to the slide. He saw a petri dish with more of the creatures inside, and jumped when one of them moved. 

“Uh oh.” he tapped his comm badge. “Hoofer to Captain Shadow, come in.” “Doctor? What is it? Did you find what cause all of this?” 

“I did ... and you're not gonna like the answer,” Dustin said, holding a small Regulan bloodworm in a pair of tweezers. “I know I sure didn't.” 

* * *

Minutes later, Gem, Twilight and Adagio joined Dustin in Sickbay. As soon as Twilight got a glimpse of the creature, she gasped. “That’s a Regulan bloodworm! If they touch you, they grow in your blood until they reach a certain point and then, like malaria, they explode and start looking for new flesh.” 

“And that’s why the crew are dead,” Gem realized, horrorstruck. “The worms got to them...” 

“And if there are a thousand crew members on board,” Adagio added, “then that must mean...” 

“Every single person on this ship has already been infected,” finished Dustin. “And we will be too if we don’t get back to the Endeavour quickly enough.” 

Gem nodded. “We need to set off demolition charges though, With this kind of infestation we can’t take any unnecessary-“ Piercing screams rent the air. One of the techs was covered in the creatures, and more were burrowing out from the corpses on the biobeds. 

“RUN!” Gem shouted, and she took off as fast as she could, the remaining crew members following in hot pursuit. 

Dustin hesitated, and addressed the medical tech. “Sara! Have you been bitten yet?” Sara frantically shook her head. Dustin breathes a sigh of relief. “Then, come with us. You'll be okay as long as they don't pierce the suit!” He and Sara run to catch up with the others. 

The six stop in a hallway far from the sickbay. Gem is stunned to see Sara with Dustin. Dustin speaks before Gem is able to protest. “Emergency decon procedure will clear them from any exposed surface. She hasn't been bitten yet, the suit is holding!” he says quickly. 

Gem nods. “Very well then.” She touches a control on her helmet. “Shadow to Endeavour. Six to beam up, inform Transporter Room personnel to initiate emergency decontamination procedure!” she orders. 

“At once, Captain,” Raven's voice announced. There was the distinctive shimmer of the transporter, and the ship around them faded into nothing. 

The six could see the transporter room of the Endeavour, yet they could not move as they were held in a purple stasis field prior to full materialization. “Initiating decon,” the transporter chief said, touching on the control panel. Pinpoint-precision horizontal beams of bright light swept over the crew members, and the bloodworms covering the medical technician's suit were instantly vaporized. The chief checked the readout. “All clear. No other lifeforms detected in scans. Completing materialization.” The purple aura vanished as the six stood on the transporter pads. 

Stepping off, Gem informs Raven of the situation. "The ship has been infested with Regulan bloodworms... If bitten, they grow in your blood until they reach full adulthood, at which point they burst forth and begin looking for new homes. We're lucky the suit held, or we'd all be in trouble." 

“So, what do we do?” Raven asks while the members of the away team step out of their environmental suits. 

“The ship will have to be destroyed,” Gem said gravely. “I believe this is still the prevailing protocol, Doctor? Or is there a way to neutralize the threat without having to do that?” 

Dustin shook his head. “As you have seen, external infestations can be removed quite easily, simply passing a decon beam over them vaporizes them. Once they're sheltered, especially inside a host, or if they've managed to lay their eggs inside a host body, there's no getting rid of them, as far as current Starfleet knowledge indicates.” 

"Then that's the only option we have," Gem says, sighing. "An undesirable outcome, but... well, it could've been a lot worse." As the group return to the bridge, Gem looks to Adagio. "We'll have to destroy the ship... can we do that remotely, or must we go down again?" 

Adagio taps controls on her station. “I can target the ship's critical systems. Four photon torpedoes will completely destroy the vessel.” 

Gem nods. “Open ship-wide communication,” she says, tapping her comm badge. The computer system beeps in reply. Gem's voice echoes throughout the ship. “This is the captain speaking. We are about to undertake a difficult and grave duty ... the starship Magellan has been infected with a contagion that cannot be defeated or cured, and therefore it must be destroyed. I ask all personnel to gather at your viewscreens, those in Ten Forward please face the viewing ports, and remain at attention as we send this ship to her final rest.” She taps her comm badge to close the link. 

Adagio taps a few more indicators on her console. “Main viewer is now being seen at all locations aboard the ship.” 

Gem tapes her badge again. “Crew ... atten-TION!” her voice rings out. Throughout the ship, the crew members stop what they're doing and stand stock-still at their viewscreens, the normally noisy Ten-Forward goes dead silent. 

Gem and the bridge crew stand at attention, facing the viewscreen. “Miss Dazzle ... fire torpedoes,” she commands softly. 

Four brilliant bursts of light emerge from the torpedo firing ports, each striking the ship with deadly accuracy. There is a bright flash of light, and as it fades, the ship is no more. 

There is a very long silence as Gem considers the enormity of what she has just done. She rises from her command chair. "Ensign Blaze, resume previous course... if anyone needs me, I'll be in my ready room with a cup of tea..." She walks slowly toward the ready room door and goes inside, letting it slide shut behind her. 

* * *

The rest of the crew, throughout the ship, slowly go back to their stations, not a word being said. Some dry their eyes, remembering friends that they knew that served aboard that ship. 

In the materials storage area, two crew members are cleaning the suits used by the away team and preparing them for storage. “I don't know why we have to wear all this stuff,” one crew member said to the other, indicating the protective equipment on his hands and feet, and covering his uniform. “I mean, they went through decon when they beamed in, these suits should be clean as can be.” 

“Do you know anything about Regulan bloodworms?” asked the other. “No, I'm a warehouse tech, not a doctor.” 

“Nasty buggers. If even one is hidden in a fold of clothing, it can infect an entire starship. And their bite is what gets you. So, that's why we're to wear these and to call sickbay if we find anything.” 

The first crew member nods, and picks up one of the gloves worn by Gem. He peeks inside and blanches. “I think we better make that call,” he says quietly, showing his partner what he found. 

* * *

Doctor Hoofer stormed onto the bridge, two burly security officers in tow. “Where is Captain Shadow?” he demanded. 

“She's in her Ready Room, but you can't--” Raven is cut off as the guards stand in front of the entrance while Dustin goes inside quickly. 

“Doctor, what is the--” Gem starts to say. 

Dustin cuts her off. “Computer, emergency medical transport! Beam Captain Shadow to Isolation Room One, STAT!” The captain disappears in a blaze of silvery sparkles. 

After being transported, Gem drops her teacup, sending scalding-hot Earl Grey to the floor with a crash of breaking china. "Fourth time this month I've done that... Doctor, what in the world is the meaning of this?!" she asks, narrowing her eyes. "I don't suppose you'd mind explaining what's going on?" 

“Oh, I don't mind very well at all ... but that's beside the point.” He holds up a glove from an environmental suit. “It seems our captain did something incredibly stupid while on an away mission to a starship with an unknown and potentially lethal substance aboard.” He holds up a petri dish with a Regulan bloodworm inside. “Care to tell me how this got inside your glove, Captain?” Dustin asked testily. 

"You were there, I would think you-" She stops, and mentally rewinds. "The captain... I took off my glove for a few moments, patted his hand, and put it back on... the worm must've slipped inside." She facepalms. "Oooh, I've been an idiot, haven't I?" she groans. 

“As my professional diagnosis – yes. Now, let's see just how big of one you are about to become. Hold out your hand, the one you took the glove off from.” Dustin puts the petri dish in the pocket of his lab coat and pulls out a magnifying glass. He scans each of Gem's fingers. 

"Anything?" Gem watches, her heart racing, and hoping the answer was no. 

“The bloodworm's 'bite' has been likened to the bite from the common mosquito,” Dustin explains, “and unless it bites you in a very sensitive location, or hits a small nerve ending, you probably wouldn't even notice it until it was too late. So, we look at each of your fingers and your hand and--” He stops, and looks closer. He lets out a slow breath, showing Gem the almost-invisible red dot on the top of her hand. “I am now updating our diagnosis to 'idiot that other idiots worship as a god.' I have seven days to do what all of the best brains of Starfleet Medical could never do before you become a walking bug farm.” His face was grim. “Gem, the odds aren't in your favor, but I will do everything I possibly can to find a cure for this. Remember my promise the first day I met you.” He speaks to the nurse standing on the opposite side of the force field. “Prepare a kit for blood draw and fire up the main lab. I want every lab tech's brain power on this one.” 

"I have complete faith in your medical ability, Doctor," Gem says, "What I don't have is faith in myself. How could I have been so foolish? I have one of the highest IQs Equestria has ever seen, and I manage to do something like this." She closes her eyes to try and stop the tears from flowing. "I've put the entire crew at risk... I don't deserve my rank..." The tears come anyway. "He'd be so ashamed of me..." Referring, of course, to her father. 

Dustin takes Gem's uninjured hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “People oftentimes surrender right as victory is at hand. Don't give up on me because I'm damn sure not giving up on you. We have the advantage of time on our side. The eggs haven't hatched yet, and we caught it early enough that there might be a way to get them out of your system. Second, my dad's told me stories of your dad, and how even he has completely mucked things up from time to time. But, despite that, he didn't give up. In fact, I think he'd be damn proud of you for everything you've done so far.” 

A hiss and a beep indicate the tools have passed through the barrier into the treatment area. Dustin retrieves the equipment. “I'm going to draw some blood, and see if I can't find something to kill off the eggs. What I want you to do is keep a positive mental attitude and have faith in your little country doctor.” He smiles. “I'll keep you informed of my progress.” 

"Very well," Gem nods, drying her eyes. She takes a PADD from somewhere and begins flipping through a book stored on it. 

* * *

_"First officer's log, stardate 80593.5. Captain Shadow remains in isolation following the discovery of a bite mark from a Regulan bloodworm. The Endeavour is en-route to Starbase 207, and the crew is waiting for an update on the captain's condition."_

In the medical laboratory, technicians hunch over various pieces of equipment, studying readouts and looking at samples. In the center of the maelstrom is Dustin, looking over the results of each test. He slams the latest stack down on the desk in frustration. “Aw, come on! These stupid things simply cannot be immune to every toxin we throw at them! Even worse, how do we introduce this stuff without killing the captain in the process?” He turns his seat around. “Okay, enough with synthetics, what about natural biologicals?” he asks the crew. They all shrug, and murmur among themselves. 

He drums his fingers on the desk in thought before a flash of inspiration hits him. “Okay ... so they're immune to everything known to Starfleet science ... what about ... “ He runs back to his office. 

Sara the med-tech follows after him. "What do you have in mind, sir? Magic?" she asks. 

“That too,” he replies, thumbing through a book with strange symbols printed on and inside it, “and a little touch of motherly love.” He grabs a small sachet bag and turns to Sara. “Prepare a batch of hypospray medium number 26, and warm up the centrifuge. I need to get to the botany department. Won't be a moment.” 

"Right away, sir." She runs off to go do exactly that. 

Meanwhile, Gem is checking with the bridge via her communicator. "Captain to bridge, how is everything over there? Have we arrived at Starbase 207 yet?" 

“We are traveling at Warp 8.4, which is the maximum speed allowed in this zone,” Sonata replies. “It will be at least another two days before we reach Starbase at this speed.” 

"Oh alright, maybe by then I'll be feeling better... Shadow out." She turns back to her book, trying to relax, and hoping that there weren't any worms about to burrow out of her body. 

Elsewhere, Sara returns with the hypospray, and has warmed up the centrifuge. Reconvening with Dustin, she looks at him curiously. "What's the plan?" 

“The plan,” he said, removing the vial of medium from the hypospray and pouring it into a mortar and pestle, “ is to give those bugs a literal heartburn.” He removes three flame-shaped leaves from the bag and places them into the mortar, and begins to grind them until a green, soupy mess remains. Pouring some of the solution into another small bottle, he places it into a centrifuge and starts it spinning. Once it stops, he removes the bottle, the green solids pinned to the bottom under a clear liquid. “There. Now, get me a couple of drops of the captain's latest blood sample and place it on a slide. Don't cover it, just put it there. Then, place it into the main microscope.” 

Sara nods, and does as instructed. Dustin taps his comm badge. “Hoofer to Captain.” "Yes, Doctor?" comes Gem's voice. "How goes the search?" 

“Hopefully at the end of the road, I wanted you to personally hear the results of this one.” Sara sets the slide in the microscope, and Dustin says, “Sara, look and tell me what you see.” 

Sara looks through the eyepiece. “I see little orbs with what looks like squiggles of string inside them.” 

“Those are the bloodworm eggs,” Dustin explained, “and the squiggles indicate the critters are nearing the larval stage. So, let's hope this works.” he draws a small amount of the serum into a conventional hypodermic syringe and gently injects Gem's blood with a droplet. Waiting a minute, he asks Sara, “Now, look again. Tell me what you see.” 

Sara looks. “It appears the squiggles are bursting into flames inside the spheres,” she says. “Some of the red cells are being damaged as well, it appears.” 

Dustin does a quiet celebration. “I think we've found the cure, Captain. I can manage the red cells to prevent them from being damaged. Looks like your vacation's about over.” 

"Excellent news!" Gem says happily. "Prepare a dose! I'll be waiting for you, I'm almost at the end of the chapter." 

“On our way!” he says. Prepping a hypospray with the mixture, he taps his comm badge again. “Hoofer to First Officer, we have a cure. Will update you in a few minutes. Hoofer out.” 

Cheers erupt from the bridge, and from engineering when Twilight informs Emerald of the latest happenings. Gem, meanwhile, finishes with her book just as Dustin and Sara enter the room. 

“Looks like Mom came through for me again, Celestia rest her soul,” Dustin says. “Now, Sara is going to administer the injection and I am going to keep your red blood cells from being damaged in the process.” He takes both of Gem's hands in his. “Ready to get well again?” he asks, his body already starting to glow. 

"Ready!" Gem smiles at the familiar tingle of Equestrian magic on her skin, and watches the process with a fascinated expression. 

Dustin nods to Sara, who injects the contents of the hypospray. 'It may feel a bit warm, but I won't let anything harm you,” Dustin says as his body begins to change. Pony ears sprout form his head and a tail emerges from his back. His hair forms into a luxurious mane, spilling over his shoulders. His eyes burn bright white. Dustin smiles at Gem as Sara stares, awestruck. 

Gem smiles at Sara, "Being half equine has its plusses. Someday, you may yet get to see me do the same thing." She closes her eyes, letting the magic rush over her like warm water. 

After what must have seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only about five minutes, Dustin's aura started to fade. His ears, mane, and tail remained. “There. I want to draw one more sample and check it before I can say you're officially cured.” He draws the sample and passes it over to Sara. “Have Jason put a rush on this, please. And tell the rest of the techs for me, good job, and take the rest of the day off.” Sara nods, and rushes back to the lab. “So, how do you feel, Gem?” he asks when Sara has gone. 

Gem embraces Dustin tightly, kissing him right on the nose and bouncing like a little schoolgirl. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squeaks, before finally recovering herself and trying to look professional again, "And this is why I am glad to have you as my ship's doctor." 

Dustin blushes, and smiles. “Oh sure, you say that now, but let's wait a while and see about that when you don't have a fatal blood parasite coursing through your veins.” 

The intercom beeps. “Fox to Doctor Hoofer, the captain's blood is negative for any live bloodworms. Repeat, negative. Looks like whatever you did worked, sir.” 

“Splendid news, Jason. Go and celebrate with the others. Hoofer out.” He turns back to Gem. “That confirms it, you are officially cured. I want to follow up in three days to see how you're feeling, but it appears you're okay to return to duty.” 

"Wonderful! I'll see you in three days!" Gem hugs him again, then skips off toward the bridge, whistling a tune as she goes. 

Dustin shakes his head and returns to his office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L: This episode helped to show Dustin as someone that clearly cares about his patients, and not just as someone full of brag and bluster.
> 
> C: It’s actually kind of sweet that Gem would go so far as to comfort the corpse of a dead captain. She really does care!


	4. The Forgotten Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pavel Chekov returns when the Endeavour is sent to negotiate with the planet that once captured him as a POW. However, it seems the former navigator has a sinister plan of his own...

_“Captain's Log, stardate 80607.3: The Endeavour waits at Starbase 207 to pick up Ambassador Pavel Chekhov. Ambassador Chekhov is leading a delegation to the planet Eurybdis-47, the same planet which, many years ago, held him as a prisoner-of-war. It took the Federation three years to negotiate for his release, during which time he was reportedly subjected to extreme physical and mental tortures.”_

The command staff of the Endeavour, along with the Chief Medical Officer, stand along a red carpet laid out on the floor of the main shuttlecraft hangar bay. Adagio Dazzle stands at the controls, studying sensor readings. “The ambassador's runabout is requesting permission to dock, Captain,” she says.

“Permission granted, let them come aboard,” Gemini replies.

The force field activates around the main hangar door, and the massive door slides open revealing the empty space outside the ship. A runabout slowly enters and crosses through the force field, landing gently on the floor of the deck. An electronic bosun's whistle sounds as the doors of the runabout open and Ambassador Chekhov steps down to the hangar bay. Captain Shadow is there to greet him. “Welcome aboard the Endeavour, Ambassador,” she says warmly.

Chekhov shakes her hand. “A pleasure, Keptin, he says with his thick Russian accent. “This is a wery nice ship, much like a ship I served upon, the Reliant.”

“Come, then,” Gem says, “let's give you a tour and introduce my staff.”

* * *

"And this is the bridge," Gem says, as they enter the room, the door sliding shut behind them. "Just off it is my ready room. I hope you like the wood and brass accents, that was my father's idea... This ship was originally his, they gave it to me after my training was done." She shows Chekov a picture of Orion during his time aboard the Shadowfall, Borg implants at all.

“He vas … he vas assimilated? Det is incredible … and yet he vas still rescued. How difficult vas it for him to return to normal life in Starfleet?” Chekov asks.

"Aside from initial mistrust from command, not too difficult at all. After his time in space, he returned to Equestria as an adviser between the ruling diarchy and Starfleet, and then I came along." She grins. "I'm half human, half pony. More specifically, I'm his clone." To demonstrate her abilities, she snaps her fingers and transforms a glass of water into a bouquet of flowers, then back again. "I'm very proud of my heritage, as is the rest of my bridge crew."

“It shows in your dedication to duty,” Chekov replied. “And I am quite impressed with your abilities. Starfleet made excellent choice picking you and your crew for this mission.” He sits down. “I assume you are familiar with … circumstances of my time on Eurybdis-47, Keptin?”

"I did look over your file, yes," Gem says, sitting across from him. "And while that may not mean much right now, you have my deepest apologies and sympathies. You are a good man, Mr. Chekov, and I wish this had never happened to you."

“Thank you, Keptin. Regardless, my mission now is to help them gain entry to the Federation. I vill require your cooperation in this matter, as it has been deemed vital that they are granted admission as a show of good faith, and to show old transgressions are left in the past.” He frowns a bit as he says this, but quickly composes himself. “Vhat is our estimated arrival time at the planet, Keptin?”

"Two days from now, Mr. Chekov," Aria pipes up.

Gem rises once more and smiles, "Shall I show you to your quarters?"

“Yes, please, I need to rest a bit,” Chekov says, rising as well. “Please, alert me vhen we achieve orbit around the planet.”

"Your wish is my command," Gem says, inclining her head and going back the way they came.

* * *

_"Captain's log, Stardate 80612.5. The Endeavour has entered orbit around Eurybdis-47, the planet at which our guest, Pavel Chekov, was held as a prisoner of war for several years. Nevertheless, Mr. Chekov has chosen to help them into the Federation with our help, and it is my hope that we are successful."_

On the bridge, Gem got to her feet. "Commander Shadow, would you please go tell our guest that we're ready for departure?" she asked, looking to Raven. "Miss Sparkle and I will meet you both in Transporter Room 1."

“Yes, Captain,” Raven says, rising from her chair and exiting the bridge.

Arriving at the guest suite, raven rings the door chime. She can hear Chekov's voice inside the room but can't quite make out what he is saying. The voice cuts off quickly and he calls out, “Yes, come in please.”

Raven enters the room, and observes Chekov tucking a PADD away in his diplomatic satchel. “The captain and Miss Sparkle are waiting for us in Transporter Room 1. Are you ready, sir?” Raven asks.

“Yes, Commander, let us proceed.” He waits for Raven to exit and follows behind her.

The two arrive in the transporter room. “Ready, Captain,” Raven says.

"Splendid!" Gem claps her hands and hops onto the teleporter, in much the same way her father would have. The others follow. "Four to beam down," Gem says to the ensign at the console. The ensign activates the transporter, and the group disappear in a shimmer of light.

Materializing in the main chamber on Eurybdis-47, an older female humanoid steps forward. “Welcome, Federation guests. I am Charanda, senior prefect of this world.” She walks forward and eyes Chekov. “You look familiar to me, Ambassador, have we met before?”

Chekov nods grimly. “Da. I am Ambassador Pavel Chekov. I once served with Starfleet tventy-two years ago,” he said grimly, fixing Charanda with a hard stare. I vas once an … 'honored guest' upon your world.”

Charanda winces, remembering the term. “I … see.” She diverts her attention to Gem and the other Starfleet officers. “I do not believe we've met before, Captain,” she said, addressing Gem.

Gem gives her best professional smile and offers a hand. "Captain Gemini Shadow of the USS Endeavour, and my crewmates, Commander Raven Shadow and Lieutenant Commander Twilight Sparkle. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma'am."

Charanda smiles and shakes each one's hand in turn. “Truly a pleasure to meet you all. Will you three be staying for the negotiations?” Charanda asked.

"It would be our pleasure," Gem replies. "Miss Sparkle in particular is an excellent negotiatior."

“Det vill not be necessary, Keptin,” Chekov said, “I have everything the Federation requires here, negotiation is a mere formality. I vould ask for a security detail to be present in the chambers, please.”

Gem ohs, but nods, "As you wish, Mr. Chekov," she says. "We'd be happy to supply you with one." She speaks into her communicator. "Captain to Transporter Room 1, have a standard size security detail beamed onto the planet surface, please. Thank you!” And a few minutes later, a small group of men and women in bright red uniforms appear.

“Wery good, Keptin. I shall signal vhen I am ready to return to the ship. Det will be all,” Chekov says, wearing an odd but seemingly sincere smile.

Gem nods, and taps her comm badge. “Away Team to Endeavour, three to beam up.” As Gem and the others dematerialize, Chekov and Charanda proceed to the chambers, followed by the security contingent.

* * *

_“Captain's Log: supplemental. In what would seem to be the shortest time for negotiations yet recorded, Ambassador Chekov has signaled to be returned to the Endeavour. I continue to be optimistic about this situation, but I can't help but feel something is a bit … off.”_

“The ambassador is aboard,” Adagio announces from her station, “and there does not--” She is cut off as an explosion rocks the ship, sending the bridge crew flying form their seats.

The alert klaxons begin to blare as Adagio struggles back to her station. “Captain, we've been fired upon! The blast came from … “ She double-checks her readings. “It came from the planet!”

Ambassador Chekov emerges from the turbolift. “Keptin, vhat has happened? The whole ship vas rocked. Are we under attack?”

Gem slips a pair of glasses resembling Orion's from a pocket of her uniform and puts them on, "We most certainly have, Mr. Chekov," she groans, climbing back into her seat and rubbing her forehead. She speaks into her communicator. "Report, Miss Wave! How bad are we?"

As Emerald makes her report, Twilight turns to Chekov. "I don't understand, things were going so well when we went down there! What went on after we left? What terms did you offer them? Why have they so evidently refused them?”

“I do not know, Miss Sparkle. I presented the terms to them, they claim we insult them, the negotiations were canceled,” Chekov said. “It has been my experience that they are not entirely a peaceful race and I vould recommend we prepare for more attacks.”

“Captain!” Adagio calls out. “I have lost contact with the security detail, and we have Senior Prefect Charanda attempting to hail us!”

Raven and Gem exchange a glance. “On screen, Lieutenant,” Raven orders.

The viewscreen flickers and a scene of carnage is played out before the stunned bridge crew. What once was a very ornate and busy area is now a battle zone, with small fires visible and a haze of smoke over the area. In the background, the injured and dead are being carried away. In front of all of this stands Charanda, bloodied and covered with soot. “Is this Federation diplomacy?” she demands, outraged. “First, you send down a list of impossible and, quite frankly, inappropriate demands, and then detonate a powerful explosive in a hall of peace? I don't know what kind of a game you're playing, but if it's a war you want, a war you shall have! You have two of your hours to surrender yourselves for proper punishment or face certain destruction!” The viewscreen returns to the view of the planet from orbit.

Gem rises from her seat, anger coloring her face, and rounds on Chekov. In response, the bridge goes dead silent. They had never seen their captain this mad before. "You will tell me the truth about what you did," she snarls, "Or I will return you to the next Starbase we come to and have you punished for committing an act of treason! Do I make myself clear, Mr. Chekov?!"

Chekov is calm and composed as he approaches Gem. “Keptin, you will never survive to reach a starbase, now that the Eurybdians have declared war. They will stop at nothing to ensure this wessel is destroyed. I did what I was ordered to do, like a good little puppet of the Federation, and as you can see it failed. Our only recourse is to finish them before they get a chance to finish us. And, if you won't act, I will.”

"You won't get a chance," Gem snarls. "Commander Raven, confine him to quarters and see to it that he cannot escape. If he tries to overpower you, give him the full thrust of your magic." She turns on her heel. "Miss Dazzle, do we have time to clean up this mess our esteemed "guest" has made?"

Adagio taps on her console. “I'm trying to raise them, Captain. No response, nor can I locate the security detail. Should we alert Starfleet?” Another blast strikes the Endeavour, this time absorbed by the shields. “Shields at 89 percent, ma'am. I doubt we can handle a prolonged barrage.”

"Alert Starfleet and take us out of their weapon range, we need time to plan," Gem orders, pacing now with her hand on her chin. "Of all the dirty tricks... I will not allow this war to grow. There's got to be another way."

Aria and Sonata are frantically tapping at their consoles. "Captain, there's no response from our panels!" Aria says, panicked.

“My panel is offline, too!” Adagio says. “All bridge controls are inoperative!”

“Shadow to bridge! Sorry, Captain, but Chekov has escaped! He used some kind of stun weapon on us, we couldn't stop him. We don't know where he went, we're initiating a search of the ship now!” Raven's voice said over the intercom.

“Captain, knowing the ship like he says he does, and in his current frame of mind...” Sunset says from her seat. She touches a panel on her armrest. “Computer, locate Ambassador Chekov.”

“Ambassador Chekov is in Auxiliary Control,” the computer mechanically replies.

"That must be how he's interfering with our systems," Gem realizes, horrorstruck. "Of course… computer, shut down Auxiliary Control. He can't hurt us anymore if he can't access our systems." She looks to Adagio. "There's no more we can do here, we'll have to get down there. And try not to get killed. If we can just reason with Charanada..."

“Captain, systems are still offline!” Adagio says, horrified.

“Keptin Shadow, I warned you that I would take control of this wessel and I have done so,” Chekov's voice says over the intercom. “All automated systems are controlled by me. And once I finish my mission, I will return control of the ship to you.”

“Captain, all weapons are being locked onto the capital city!” Aria says, checking her readouts. She frantically tries to override the commands. “Still unresponsive, ma'am!”

Adagio goes down to where Gem is standing. “Captain, we can try a manual override of the systems. I'll need Lieutenant Commander Wave's help, and we'll need time.”

"Right." Gem taps her comm. badge and speaks into it, "Lieutenant Commander Wave, report to the bridge at once, your help is needed urgently!"

Emerald's reply is swift: "Aye, ma'am."

After a few tense minutes, Emerald arrives. After a quick briefing, she joins Adagio at her station. "Manual override, huh? Let's see what we can do." She and Adagio quickly get to work.

* * *

Gem, meanwhile, runs to Auxilary Control and blasts the door open with a quick burst of concentrated magic. She strides through, looking furious. "You are committing treason of the highest order, Mr. Chekov. I expected so much better of you. Kirk would be ashamed." She takes out her magic screwdriver and points it at him. "Do you know what this is, Mr. Chekov? This is a scale model of war! Every war ever fought, right there in front of you!”

“Because it's always the same: when you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know whose children are going to scream and burn! How many hearts will be broken! How many lives shattered! How much blood will spill until everybody does until what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: sit down and talk!" Spittle flies out of her mouth. 

"Listen to me. Listen, I just, I just want you to think. Do you know what thinking is? It's just a fancy word for changing your mind. I understand what they did to you, but that does NOT mean you get to exact petty revenge whenever you feel like it! Disengage those weapons, allow myself and my crew to repair the harm you've done as best we can, and we'll take you home. Because I refuse to stand by and watch you slaughter more innocent lives."

Chekov scoffs. “Innocent lives? You call those barbarians 'innocent'? Or is that the latest term to make the almighty Federation seem noble, to give them the honorable task of protecting 'innocent lives'? Let me tell you about these so-called innocent lives, Keptin. I spent three years at the hands of these people, being tortured both physically and psychologically.”

“Three long years at the hands of these butchers, and yet I never broke. I stood firm as a good Starfleet officer is supposed to, I never broke, I took it all! Every minute of every interminable day, I took and took, standing firm in my firm belief that the Federation would do everything in its power to save me from this hell. And I waited. And waited. Three long years I waited while the Federation played its little games with these savages. When the day came that I was finally released, I swore that one day I would make these people pay for what they did to me. Every scar, every amount of pain, every mind trick, they owed me a huge debt and I was going to collect on it.”

“Don't lecture me about war, Keptin. I've seen battle, watched as good men and women died. I know exactly what's going to happen the minute I fire these weapons. I know who will die, I know whose lives will be forever altered. And I'm quite happy to see it happen.” 

He walks over to the console. “You preach the party line so well, you would have made good communist in olden days of Russia. You sit on your velvet throne, thinking you're better than everyone else, not really caring about the needs or wants of those under your command. You make an order, you expect results, and Bozhe moi do you get them! Now, the table has turned, and you're no longer in control. What now, Keptin? Do you kill me? Do you try to make me see the light of the Federation? No … not this time. Today, my pain ends, and theirs begins.”

Then Gem's badge beeps. "Manual override successful, ma'am," says Emerald. "Auxiliary control has been closed. Weapons are disengaged."

Gem smiles. "Splendid news, Miss Wave." She looks back to Chekov. "So much for the slaughter of a billion souls. If you excuse me, I have a peace to negotiate." And she presses the button on her screwdriver, temporarily turning him to stone. “Commander Raven, the prisoner has been apprehended. Please put him in the brig, we'll sort him out later."

“Captain, I have Senior Prefect Charanda on screen, she has agreed to suspend her attacks until she can speak with you,” Adagio says as Gem enters the bridge from the turbolift.

“All of our weapons systems have been powered down, Captain,” Aria announces, “and we have full helm and navigation capabilities.”

"Good!" She settles in and turns to face the screen. "Senior Prefect Charanda, I must express to you my deepest apologies, on behalf of myself, my crew, and the Federation. The traitor used his ambassador status for evil, and I assure you he will be dealt with most severely by the proper authorities."

Charanda sighs. “Captain Shadow, the attack killed seventeen of our people, and I regret to announce that your personnel assigned to security perished as well. They gave their lives preventing more deaths, and for their heroism, we are most grateful. I wish I could be angrier about Mr. Chekov's actions, but I cannot say I blame him for what he did. Twenty-two years ago, he was a part of a first-contact mission to our world. He was discovered, and because of the obvious differences between our species, we assumed the worst. And it was for that reason that he was subjected to … to the horrors we put him through. We do agree that he does deserve some punishment, but we also ask, in the name of interplanetary amnesty and good will, that said punishment be tempered with compassion.”

"I will be reasonable," Gem concedes, nodding. "Or rather, I'll do my best to make sure that Command is. I thank you for your counsel." She leans back in her chair. "Do you still wish to join us?"

Charanda smiles. “I, as do most of my people, believe it would be a big step toward healing the rift between our peoples. If the Federation is still amenable, we would like very much to continue our petition for entry.”

Gem smiles back. "Excellent. I'll be sure to let them know." The screen goes dark. Gem heaves a deep sigh, placing a hand on her forehead as her smile fades. "Peace... But at the cost of so much..."

“Course laid in to the nearest Starbase, Captain,” Aria says, “ready at your command.”

“Hoofer to Bridge … could someone up there please explain why I was called to examine a statue of our esteemed ambassador, and when someone's gonna come down and un-petrify him long enough for me to complete his psych profile?” the doctor's annoyed voice said over the intercom.

"Engage," she orders, before sighing and speaking into her badge. "It's a long story, Doctor... I'll come and explain it. Have the teapot ready." She rises and makes her way down to the medical bay.

The warp engines flash to life, and the Endeavour streaks away into the blackness of space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, we’re probably horrible for messing around with Chekov like that, but TNG almost did it first! Besides, it’s never stated what happens to him after he leaves the Endeavour. Maybe he has a change of heart.


	5. The Dark Dimension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A transporter malfunction sends Gem, Twilight, Sunset, and Adagio into a parallel universe, where their analogues are members of the infamous Terran Empire.

_“First officer’s log, stardate 80683.2: Captain Shadow, Lieutenant Dazzle, Lieutenant Commander Sparkle, and Lieutenant Shimmer are with the local leader of the Halkans, negotiating dilithium mining rights for the Federation, but an ion storm appears to be brewing.”_

Down on the planet, negotiations continue. “We believe what you say, Captain Shadow, but our position has not altered. The Halkan Council cannot permit your Federation to mine dilithium crystals on our planet,” says Tharn.

Gem sighs and throws her hands up, “We have shown the council historical proof that our missions are peaceful!” she insists.

Tharn nods. “We accept that your Federation is benevolent at present, but the future is always in question. Our dilithium crystals represent awesome power. Wrongful use of that power, even to the extent of the taking of one life, would violate our history of total peace. To prevent that, we would die, Captain. As a race, if necessary."

Gem can only nod. “I admire your ethics and hope to prove ours.” She taps her comm. badge. “Shadow to Endeavour.”

“Commander Shadow here,” says Raven’s voice.

“What’s the weather like up there, Commander?” Gem asks.

On the bridge, Raven is sitting in her usual chair as she speaks to Gem. “Standard ion type, Captain, but quite violent and unpredictable.” As she speaks, the Endeavour shakes.

“Rough ride?” asks Gem.

“If we stay,” Raven says simply.

Gem nods. “Stand by to beam up landing party. Plot an extended orbit to clear disturbance. Shadow out.”

“Comply, Miss Dusk,” Raven instructs.

Sonata nods. “Aye, ma’am."

Back on the ground, the away team prepares to leave. “When may we resume discussion?” asks Gem, looking to their host. Tharn shrugs. “The council will meditate further, but do not be hopeful of any change. Captain, you do have the might to force the crystals from us, of course.”

Gem nods, “But we won’t, because it wouldn’t be fair.” She taps her badge. “Captain to transporter room, four to beam up. Energise.”

* * *

In the transporter room, Ensign Kyle is having some difficulties as Raven comes in to greet the returning officers. “Trouble, ma’am,” he says, just as four figures start to materialise, then disappear again. On Endeavour Prime, four figures solidify, wearing strange uniforms with gold sashes. Sunset’s midriff is bare. On the Mirror Endeavour, the Prime version of the away team appear, wearing their standard Federation uniforms.

“Raven was right, it was a rough trip,” Gem comments, as she and the others step down off the platform. Raven and Kyle greet their Captain with a Nazi-like salute. Their uniforms have changed, becoming more flamboyant. For some reason, Raven is now wearing an eyepatch.

“At norm, Mister Kyle. Controls at neutral,” Raven says.

Kyle nods. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Status of mission, Captain?” Raven asks.

Gem pauses. Something seems terribly off, but she decides to play along so as to not attract suspicion, at least for now. “No change,” she says at last.

Raven nods. “Standard procedure, Captain?” As Gem nods, Raven speaks to Sonata via her comm. badge, which is now the Earth bisected by a sword rather than the familiar Starfleet arrowhead. “Miss Dusk, you will program phaser barrage on Halkan cities.”

“Yes, Commander Shadow,” says Sonata, who now has a scar on her face.

“Their military capability, Captain?” Raven asks.

“None,” says Gem. “They are a peaceful bunch.”

Raven nods. “Regrettable that this society has chosen suicide.” She turns back to Ensign Kyle. “Mister Kyle, you were instructed to compensate during the ion storm.”

“But I tried, Commander Shadow, I tried,” Kyle protests.

Raven frowns, “Carelessness with the equipment cannot be tolerated.”

“But Commander Shadow, I-“ says Kyle, just as Raven interrupts him.“Your agoniser,” she barks.

“No, Commander Shadow!” Kyle’s eyes are wide with fear.

“Your agoniser, please,” Raven says again, losing patience. A guard restrains Kyle and takes a device from his belt. Raven places the device on Kyle's collar bone, and he writhes in agony. When it is removed, he collapses. Gem looks on, horrorstruck. “Sister... how could you...”

“Did you say something, Captain?” Raven asks, eyeing Gem suspiciously.

“There … was a fluctuation during transport, while we were inside the beam,” Adagio says, sounding as authoritative as possible. “I think we should report to Sickbay to get checked out, to make sure we're all right.” She looked hard at Gem, hoping she'd get the hint.

“First round of Halkan cities are now within phaser range. Awaiting orders to commence attack run,” Aria's voice said coldly over the intercom.

“They're just about to crack,” Twilight said quickly, “the captain just needs a little time, but their dilithium crystals will soon be ours.”

Raven nods. “Very well. Ensign Blaze, do not fire until the captain has concluded negotiations with these weak little sheep.” She turns to Gem. “Twenty-four more hours should be sufficient, I believe. The High Command will allow no greater delay than that. Meanwhile, I concur that you should report to Sickbay for physical examination.”

"Then let's not waste any more time," Gem says, and the group quickly make their way to sickbay. The layout of the ship, at least, had not changed. As the four made their way along, Gem looked around the ship, frowning. "Look at that symbol on the doors and walls," she whispers. "And on everyone's communication badges... the Earth bisected by a sword. I don't know where we are or what's happened to that transporter, but whatever it is, it isn't good... you all saw how Raven was acting back there. I know my sister like the back of my hand, and I know the real Raven would never be so callous and cold." They huddle. "Twilight and Sunset, you go find the ship's library and find out whatever information you can, and whether or not we can get out of here. Adagio, stay with me. Set phasers to stun, and use magic only if absolutely necessary. Is that clear?"

The others all nodded in agreement, and after a short while they arrived at Sickbay. No medical staff was visible when they entered, and the layout had each of them confused. Where the laboratory normally was, an array of [equipment ](http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/breakingbad/images/3/37/Superlab1.png)giving off a strange chemical smell. Lining a wall where one would normally find biobeds, the beds had been removed in favor of hydroponic containers, each one with a different species of plant growing inside. Twilight scanned the plants and checked the results on her tricorder. “Captain … each one of these plants is a known hallucinogen on its home world. And that lab … historical database shows that was a setup to prepare a synthetic compound known as methamphetamine.”

Rounding the corner, Doctor Hoofer called out, “Look, you need to go to deck fifteen if you want...” he stopped, and his face blanched. “Oh no … my mistress, I apologize, I forgot about our appointment, I'm not prepared! Please! Please, I was cooking all night long, please have mercy....” He crumpled into a little ball on the floor, sobbing heavily.

Gem stares at Doctor Hoofer, mouth agape. "I never thought I'd bad saying this, but Doctor Hoofer, would you please control yourself?" she asked, pulling him to his feet. "I don't know what appointment you're talking about, and I can't imagine why you're thinking I'm going to punish you, when in fact I trust you in all things medical. What I would like to know is why your sickbay appears to have become what is known on Earth as a meth lab." 

As she speaks, two men in yellow jumpsuits pass by, one with a small beard and large glasses on his face while the other is younger with a small mustache above his top lip.

"I didn't ask for any of this! How am I supposed to live here now, huh? My whole house smells like toe cheese and dry cleaning!" says the younger man.

The older man facepalms. "Because you didn't follow my instructions!"

The younger man rolls his eyes. "Oh well, heil Hitler, bitch! And let me tell you something else. We flipped a coin, okay? You and me. You and me! Coin flip is sacred! Your job is waiting for you in that basement, as per the coin!" Their voices trail off as they disappear into another part of the lab.

Dustin is still sobbing, not daring to raise his eyes and look at Gem. “Y-you said when you returned from this away mission, you w-w-were gonna need some 'stress relief,' so naturally I-I-I assumed you were gonna do one of our 'sessions,' but I haven't prepared the dungeon yet and ...” He finally looks up when he hears Gem's quizzical tone. “Wait a minute … you're not Mistress Gemini. But, you look somewhat like her. And the rest of you...” He slowly gets to his feet. “The … the lab was Lieutenant Sparkle's idea … both to raise funds and to keep the crew placated A stoned crew is a non-mutinous and easily-controlled crew, she said. But … who are you that you wouldn't know that?”

Gem sighs. "We're not supposed to be here... we're from another universe. One where there aren't those peculiar symbols you're wearing on your uniform, and one where my sister isn't a cold-hearted witch. But we're also trapped and can't get home." She takes Dustin's hand in hers, squeezing it. "I have no doubt that you are a man of integrity even in this universe, Doctor Hoofer, and what I need right now is someone who can help us get back to where we're supposed to be. Can you do that for us?" Her voice is soft and almost pleading.

Dustin nods. “O-o-okay … first, let's do a check-up on all of you. This way.” He leads the away team into another room. Biobeds line the walls here, a few filled with grotesque mutations barely clinging to life. “More of Mistress Gemini's doing … attempting to create the perfect killing machine. Poor things never live past a week, on average. So, I have to keep them sedated and comfortable until they eventually expire.” Dustin shakes his head with disgust. “She made it sound too good, plied me with promises of debauchery and wealth beyond my wildest imaginations, even … gave herself to me to seal the deal. And all I am to her, all I've ever been, is a mere slave, a literal whipping boy.” He lifts his tunic, red welts visible on his back. He shakes his head. “Okay, check-ups. Let's get started.”

After a few minutes, Dustin is looking at a readout on his display terminal. “I don't believe it. You two, yourself and Mistress Gemini, are identical. The only thing really different about you two is your personalities. Luckily, whatever that ion storm you told me about did to get you sent here, it didn't do any serious damage to you physically.”

Twilight went pale. “Captain … seeing what's going on here, what do you suppose is going on over on our Endeavour?”

Gem sighs. "Mass chaos, I would imagine, Miss Sparkle."

* * *

Meanwhile on Endeavour Prime, four figures materialize onto the transporter pad, wearing more flamboyant uniforms with the symbol from earlier in place of the usual Federation insignia. All four are carrying blasters, and Sunset's midriff is bare.

Mirror Gem looks around, frowning. “Raven was right, it was a rough trip,” she comments, as they all step down off the platform.

“At norm, Mister Kyle. Controls at neutral,” Raven says. Kyle nods. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Status of mission, Captain?” Raven asks.

“No change,” Gem says at last, her tone cold. "Have Ensign Blaze begin preparing a phaser barrage to strike at their cities." She smiles darkly. "Those little sheep will never know what hit them."

Raven and Kyle exchange a look. “Captain, is everything all right? You don't seem like yourself,” Raven said, eyeing Gem suspiciously.

Adagio draws her phaser and points it at Raven. “You dare question the captain's orders and motives?” she snarls.

“Whoa, chill out, Dagi-o,” Twilight says in a slightly slurred voice. “Here, eat your brownie, you'll feel better.” Adagio snorts and eats, as Twilight smiles. “There, that should buy you some time, Ravey-wavey, but you better do as the captain saaaaaays....” she says in a singsong voice.

Raven is still stunned by the actions of the away team. “Um, perhaps, Captain, it might be a good idea to visit Sickbay and make sure the ion storm didn't do any serious damage to you...”

"Oh very well, sister of mine," Gem spits, snorting contemptuously. "With me, girls!" The other three follow along quickly.

As they walk through the halls, Gem looks around and says to Adagio, "I feel as if we are not where we are supposed to be, Lieutenant Commander Dazzle. Raven did not obey my orders as she usually does. And look at these fools!" She points out several random crewmembers, "Do they look stoned to you?"

"I agree, Captain," Adagio says. "It's very confusing." They enter the sickbay. Gem looks around, stunned. "Where are my experiments?!" she shouts. "Where is my laboratory? HOOFER! GET OUT HERE BEFORE I SHOOT YOU!"

The medical staff scrambles for cover before Dustin's office door opens and he comes storming out. He stops short, seeing Mirror Gem and the others. “Well,” he says, calmly at first, “you know, it's not every day that I get people coming in here seeking voluntary euthanasia. Truth be told, I think this is a first in my entire, storied career. And yet, here you are, you in your … “ He looks at Sunset, then reaches into his pocket and takes out a small piece of paper. “Miss Shimmer, I think that outfit would look better with clear heels.” He tucks the paper in the waistband of her trousers. “Now then,” he says turning to Mirror Gem, “there's this little matter of a boneheaded Starfleet officer barging into MY SICKBAY threatening to have me shot! And I believe captain Bonehead better start apologizing RIGHT THIS INSTANT before I flip her over one of these tables and administer the most POWERFUL colonic I can create to remove whatever BUG crawled up her BACKSIDE and DIED!!!” He stands nose-to-nose with Mirror Gem, breathing heavily, pure murderous fury etched on his face.

Gem says nothing, she just calmly places the barrel of her phaser against Dustin's head. "Speak to me like that again, slave, and I really will have you shot," she growls. "Now: Inspect me, or else I'll administer the usual punishment. Do I make myself clear?"

Dustin chuckles, softly at first, then growing in volume, until he's practically laughing in Gem's face. Reaching up, he presses a point on Gem's wrist that causes her to drop the phaser, and fall to her knees in pain. Using his magic, Dustin retrieves the phaser and nods to the security staff at the man entrance. “I can definitely tell you're all not from around here. Should you wish to return from whence you came in the same condition as you arrived, you will follow my instructions to the letter. That goes for you, too, Captain Midol,” he says in a quiet, even tone. Still gripping her wrist and applying pressure, he points the phaser at her. “Now, before we begin the check-ups, tell me … where are you from and how did you get here?”

Snarling in pain and fury, Mirror Gem answers anyway. "Equestria," she manages. "We came here because of a transporter accident during an ion storm. But it's becoming increasingly clear to me this is not the ship we know, when you're supposed to be a SPINELESS, BLITHERING FOOL!" Her other hand begins to glow as she prepares a magical blast.

Dustin extends a finger from the hand holding the phaser, and a small bolt of electricity zaps Mirror Gem at the base of her neck, disrupting her magical charge. What power she was able to channel erupts in a mildly disruptive light show, the hair on all those standing nearby frizzing and standing straight up. “Take notes, people, small electrical impulses can be used to disrupt a magical blast if applied correctly and at the proper voltage. This will be covered in next week's inservice,” he says, as if discussing the weather. He roughly brings Mirror Gem to her feet and marches her to a biobed. The security officers assist him in strapping her down. Once she is secure, he leans over and looks Gem right in the eye. “Surprise. I'm not as much of an invertebrate as my counterpart is. I pity him, really. More for having to deal with you.” He turns to the rest. “Anyone else feeling … adventurous?” he asks with a sadistic grin.

The rest shake their heads, except for Twilight, who is studying the patterns on a screen saver on one of the terminals. Her jaw is slack and her eyes are glazed over. “Whooooooooooooooooooooooooa,” she says, making Dustin roll his eyes. “I think for her, we can skip the tox screen and just put 'yes.' Now then … all of you, onto a bed, please. Someone wanna help Space Cadet Serenity there?”

Sunset sighs and helps Twilight away from the monitor, throws her onto a bed as if she was some old laundry, before getting onto a biobed herself, making coy looks at the security officers and smirking. Gem, meanwhile, mumbles creative insults under her breath.

A few minutes later, Dustin is looking at the results on his terminal. “Well, apart from general temperament … and a host of STDs … nurse, give Miss Shimmer the antibiotic cocktail, and make it a double … you all are not only in good overall health, but you're practically identical to the ones that belong here. So, the real question remains, how in the blue blazes of hell do we send you back home and get our captain and crew back?”

"Who says we want to go home?" Gem says, smirking devilishly. "This new ship will need some renovations, of course, but it's nothing I haven't done before." She begins marching toward the bridge, snapping her fingers as she does so. The other three fall into line behind her.

As they make their way to the bridge, she taps her comm. badge and speaks: "Attention, all hands! This ship is now under the control of Captain Gemini Shadow, the finest officer the Terran Empire has ever produced. Bow to me and I will keep you alive. Resist, and I'll murder every last one of you. Happily. Shadow out."

* * *

_"Captain's log, supplemental. I find myself aboard a strange craft, one that appears to be the Endeavour, and yet it isn't... The crew here are familiar, and yet alien. Personalities are switched, those who are kind are now cruel. Murder seems to be the common form of discipline here. Wherever we are, I hope we can leave, and soon."_

Back in the mirror universe, the away team have gone their separate ways. Twilight and Sunset are reading up on this new universe and its history, while Gem and Adagio are making their way the bridge with phasers drawn, just in case.

“I really don't like this, Captain,” Adagio says softly. “This entire vessel is being run like a pirate ship, the crew is controlled by threats and drugs, and from what we've heard, if they don't get what they want, they'll lay waste to the planet and take it anyway. I sincerely hope that Doctor Hoofer can figure out a way to get us back home. And, that our counterparts don't have us up for any court-martial offenses.”

"You're telling me, Miss Dazzle," Gem says, frowning herself.

As they arrive on the bridge, Raven turns to face them, her own blaster drawn. "Well well well, if it isn't our two stowaways..."

Gem looks surprised. "You knew we didn't belong here?"

Raven nods. "Of course I did. Your uniforms are all wrong, you act differently, and Lieutenant Commander Sparkle didn't have that vacant expression she usually does." She walks closer. "Until our captain returns, I am in full command of this vessel. You will obey my commands without question, and if you do resist, I'll kill you both. Is that understood?"

"I REFUSE to be intimidated by my own sister," Gem snarls, her hands starting to glow. "Or whatever twisted version of her you purport to be!"

“Now now, don't make this harder than it has to be, dear sister,” Raven spat, leveling the phaser at Gem. “No, wait, on second thought, please resist. It'll make shooting you all the more fun. And then, I will take command and this ship will be run right for a change!”

Adagio fires her phaser and Raven drops quickly. She spots Aria and Sonata rising from their stations, weapons at the ready. “Captain! We can't fight the entire bridge! Any ideas?”

"Well, as my father used to say..." Gem grabs Adagio's hand. "Run!" And they do precisely that, while keeping a magical barrier around them at all times as they go.

Aria speaks into her comm. badge: "Red alert, red alert! Armed infiltrators currently aboard! All crew members are hereby ordered to shoot on sight!"

Gem sighs. "It's just not our lucky day..."

* * *

In the library, Twilight looks up from her book. "It says here that in this world, my mother overpowered the Sisters and banished them to the moon, installing your adopted father as her right-hoof pony," she says. "This world's Orion is just as astute as our own, but he has no qualms with killing anypony who gets in his way. When the cloning program was instituted, he made sure that his clone was given that same bloodlust."

“This is incredible!” Sunset exclaims. “A parallel universe, only more bloodthirsty, with replicas of every one of us. Each replica has the inverse traits of what we have. Whereas our Gem is compassionate, their Gem must be ruthless. I don't even want to know what my mirror self is like, but I can bet it's something horrible.”

“H-hoofer to Shimmer, are you there?” came a meek voice over Sunset's comm badge.

“Yes, Doctor, go ahead,” Sunset replied.

“I think I've figured out a way to send you home...our two universes will be passing each other again fairly soon, and if we time the transporter just so, you'll end up back in your home world," says Dustin.

“That's great news, Doctor! So, what shall we do?” Sunset asks.

“Start heading for the transporter room … oh, and you may want to have your weapons ready, your captain and security chief are being hunted as we speak.”

Sunset and Twilight share a look, then begin running for the transporter room. There, another ensign levels his blaster at the two women. "Freeze, or I shoot!" he orders.

Twilight and Sunset raise their hands. "We come in peace!" Twilight says. "Take us to... oh, nevermind!" She settles for knocking him out with her own phaser.

Gem and Adagio arrive shortly thereafter, panting heavily. "Oh thank goodness, you two are safe," Gem manages to say. "Doctor Hoofer told us to come here... he says that there's a way home."

"In bodybags," says a new voice, as Raven strides into the room, having been woken up. She's flanked on either side by Aria and Sonata. "We've decided to execute all four of you here and now," she says. "Ready, aim, fire!"

The blasts are absorbed by a magical shield thrown up between the Endeavour prime crew and the Mirror Endeavour crew. Controlling the shield is Doctor Hoofer, using all of his magical ability. “N-no. Let them go h-h-home and bring ours back,” he says quietly. “I-i-it doesn't have to be like this, C-c-commander.”

Adagio leans in to Sunset. “Let's hope the other side's going smoother than this.” Sunset nods solemnly.

It isn't. Back on Endeavour Prime, a good portion of the crew (all of them redshirts) have been killed in various fascinating ways by Mirror Gem and her cohorts, who are now holding the main bridge crew hostage. Sonata is sobbing, Aria is sitting there pouting with her arms crossed, and Raven is snarling at Gem, whose blaster is pointed at her chest. "Attack me again, you little runt, and I'll see to it that all your precious sister finds when she returns is your dead carcass," Gem snaps, glaring at Raven.

* * *

Mirror Raven sighs. "Oh, I suppose... but if any of you speak of this again, I'll have you all court-martialed!" She points her phaser at the prime crew. "Get on the platform!"

"With pleasure," Gem hisses. She does smile at Dustin though, and blows him a kiss. "Thank you, Doctor... I am glad I can rely on you. You're a man of integrity in both universes, it appears. But before we leave you, remember: do good. The world in which you live may be a smouldering wreck, but you can be a beacon of light in the darkness. Your actions today are proof of that."

Dustin blushes. “Thank you, Captain. I will do my best.” He moves to the transporter controls, next to Ensign Kyle, and gives him the information while Gem and the others stand on the platform.

* * *

The turbolift doors slide open and Dustin strolls onto the bridge. He looks over the scene in front of him, and chokes back several creative and possibly never-before-uttered epithets when he spies Sonata in the state she's in. “Gemini Shadow, your transport home is ready, please come with me to the transporter room. And, kindly put that pea-shooter away until you get back to your own twisted universe, mmkay?”

"That's Mistress Shadow to you, but very well," Mirror Gem says, snapping her fingers again and goose-stepping with the others to the transporter room. "You know, I'm looking forward to going home... this world is simply too -polite-. Your captain must be an absolute bore."

Dustin says not a word as they all enter the turbolift. Just as the doors are closing, Dustin turns to Mirror Gem and says, “You've never been laid properly in your entire life, have you?” while looking completely serious. Crew members reported hearing the screaming five decks distant.

* * *

Gem and Dustin sit in Gem's ready room, Gem sipping her tea while Dustin idly sips a frozen cappuccino. “So, once we were able to calculate the next lap point in the spacial rift caused by the ion storm, all we had to do was initiate transport at that precise moment. I'm glad my counterpart was able to figure that out as well. Although, the concept of you fighting to the death with your evil twin … “

Gem chuckles. "Don't get any ideas, Dustin. If what I've heard is right, she's just as powerful as me, but far more bloodthirsty. A fight between us may have been exciting, but not something I'm looking forward to. All the same..." She goes to her desk and removes one of Mirror Twilight's brownies, left behind as a goodbye present. "I have the feeling this won't be the last we see of them."

“Yes, I suspect you're correct,” Dustin says, watching Gem. “Um, you do know that there's probably enough hallucinogenic compounds in that thing to get the entire crew stoned about three times over, right?”

"Yes, I could tell from the smell." She wrinkles her nose, "I'll dispose of it in due course. In the meantime..." She puts it back and gives Dustin a hug. "I do believe you've earned yourself a field promotion, Doctor Hoofer, for going above and beyond the call of duty in a time of great danger and distress. And for saving our lives."

Dustin blushes. “Just doing my job, Captain Shadow.” He grins slyly. “You sure you're not doing it to curry my favor? I mean, we all know you have a crush on me, because I'm so irresistible...” He waggles his eyebrows.

Gem giggles, "Not at all! I've seen how you and Sonata are together, and I would do nothing to ruin that." She smiles. "This is usually the part where I, as the protective older sister figure, impart to you a warning about what will happen if you harm her, but you and I both know that's unnecessary." She rises. "Forgive me, but duty calls. Until next time, Doctor."

"Absolutely, Captain. Duty calls." He rises and follows Gem out of the ready room.

* * *

That evening, Gem sat in her quarters aboard the Endeavour, a PADD in her hands. Her glasses were on, helping her to focus on the words on the screen. She wore jeans and a blue hoodie that was unzipped, showing the white tank-top beneath. The door chime caused her to look up. "Come in!" she called out.

Raven entered and sat on Gem's desk chair, dressed in a plain red t-shirt and black jeans. "Whatcha up to, sis?"

"Just reading about that bizarre parallel universe we went to," Gem replied. "I had the girls collect as much data as they could about what they found, and cross referenced it with material from our own historical database."

"What did you find?" Raven asked.

Gem tapped the screen. "The universe in question appears to be the same one discovered by Captain James T. Kirk in the year 2267. According to the logs, an away team led by Kirk encountered this universe thanks to a transporter malfunction during an ion storm, just as we did."

"Fascinating," Raven said thoughtfully, raising an eyebrow. "What was mirror-me like?"

"A tyrannical, vengeful pirate," Gem replied immediately. "You should have seen the place, sister... Half the crew were drug addicts, since the sickbay was nothing more than a great big meth lab... Twilight was the worst. She wasn't evil really, just too high to be of real use. From what I saw of them, Mirror Aria and Sonata were incredibly bloodthirsty. And Dustin..." She gazed into the distance. "Weak, spineless, a bit of a stutter, cowering before me like he was afraid I would hurt him... I don't know what they did to him in that universe, but I do know that my other self is largely responsible for his current state of existence."

Raven watched Gem's face as she spoke and thought for a moment. "You're thinking of rescuing him, aren't you Gem?"

Gem nodded. "The thought has crossed my mind, but it would be difficult. We'd have to make sure our teleporter would cross with theirs as it did during the storm, and that only happened thanks to pure luck. No, I think any attempted rescue mission is going to wait until later... When they come to us."

"You think they will?" Raven asked, her eyes widening.

"I can feel it in my bones," Gem replied. "If I was the captain of a pirate ship who had just discovered a universe that was ripe for the taking, I would do everything in my power to make sure I had a way to get back there. A dimensional transporter, perhaps." She looks into Raven's eyes. "They, and she, will be back before we know it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L: Welcome to the mirror universe … here we introduce the evil counterparts to Gem and her crew. Basically, we portrayed the mirror universe crew as exact polar opposites of the prime crew in attitude and temperament. And yes, I got a giggle out of playing Stoner Twilight.
> 
> C: Mirror Gem is an absolute riot to play, there’s just something so perversely amusing about seeing her parade around causing chaos. I think she’s my favorite villain out of all of the ones I’ve played.


	6. The Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a timeline where the Dominion war never ended, Captain Orion Shadow of the USS Shadowfall has been sitting on the war's edge, refusing to fight. But the death of a young woman he'd tried to rescue causes him to change tactics. Years later, he is sucked through a time portal, and winds up in the 25th century...

Raven is sitting in Orion's ready room aboard the Shadowfall, recording a log entry:  _"First officer's log, stardate 51869.6: My husband, Captain Orion Shadow, has taken a small shuttle with the intention of rescuing a downed pilot, whom we believe to be at the periphery of the Dominion War.”_

* * *

Meanwhile, the pilot of a crashing spaceship is frantically trying to send a distress signal. "Help me, please. Can anybody hear me?"

"Please state the nature of your ailment or injury," says the computer.

The pilot sighs. "I'm not injured, I'm crashing! I don't need a doctor!"

The computer will not be moved. "A clear statement of your symptoms will help us provide the medical practitioner appropriate to your individual needs," it insists.

The pilot makes a frustrated noise, even as the sound of hooves on metal gets closer and closer. "I'm trying to send a distress signal? Stop talking about doctors!"

Suddenly, a new voice speaks. The pilot turns around to notice a short, grey furred unicorn in a Federation uniform talking to her. "I'm a doctor! But probably not the one you're expecting." He smiles, then goes over to help. "Where are the rest of the crew?" he asks.

"Teleported off," replies the pilot.

"But you're still here!" Orion says, looking surprised. 

"I teleported them."

"Why you?"

"Everyone else was screaming."

The unicorn offers her a hoof. "Welcome aboard."

"Aboard what?" asks the pilot, puzzled.

The unicorn smiles again, "I'll show you." He leads her along the corridor away from the bridge.

"Where are we going?" asks the pilot.

"Back of the ship," replies the unicorn.

"Why?" asks the pilot.

The unicorn stares at her incredulously. "Because the front crashes first! Think it though!

“Oh!" he exclaims, as the bulkhead seals itself. "Why did you do that?"

The pilot shrugs. "Emergency protocols."

Orion begins using his magic on the door, trying every spell he can think of, talking as he works. "What's your name?"

"Cass," says the pilot.

Orion looks amazed again. "You're young to be crewing a gunship, Cass," he comments.

Cass shrugs. "I wanted to see the universe. Is it always like this?"

"If you're lucky," Orion replies, as the bulkhead door opens to reveal the shuttle. "Don't worry, it's bigger on the inside!"

Cass blinks. "What did you say? Bigger on the inside, is that what you said?"

Orion nods. "Yes. Come on, you'll love it!"

"Is this a Federation ship?" Cass' voice now contains a few notes of suspicion.

“Yes, but you'll be perfectly safe, I promise you,” Orion replies, trying to be reassuring. He places a hoof on her shoulder.

“Don't touch me!” Cass spits, backing away and looking disgusted.

Orion frowns, visibly hurt. “I’m not part of the war. I swear to you, I never was.”

“You're one of the Federation,” returns Cass coldly.

Orion nods, conceding the point. “Yes, I am, but I'm one of the nice ones!”

Cass steps back toward the door. “Get away from me!”

“Well, look on the bright side. I'm not a Cardassian!” Orion says, sounding irritated himself now.

Cass rolls her eyes. “Who can tell the difference any more?” She closes the bulkhead door between herself and Orion.

“Cass!” Orion shouts, lighting his horn and rushing toward the door again.

“It's deadlocked. Don't even try!” calls Cass from the other side.

“Cass, just open the door. I'm trying to help!” Orion shouts desperately.

“Go back to your battlefield,” Cass shouts angrily. “You haven't finished yet. Some of the universe is still standing!”

“I’m not leaving this ship without you,” Orion says determinedly.

“Well, you're going to die right here. Best news all day,” Cass says, resigning herself to her fate even as Orion continues to call out her name. The ship does indeed crash, landing on a forgotten backwater of a planet.

* * *

Hours later, Orion is lying prone in a bio-bed aboard the Enterprise E. He suddenly jerks awake, causing beeping noises from somewhere to his left, which he ignores. “Cass!”

“If you refer to your companion, we are still attempting to extract her from the wreckage,” says a voice. Counselor Troi enters the room, looking surprisingly grave.

“She wasn't my companion,” Orion mutters, flopping back onto his pillows.

Troi sighs. “She's almost certainly dead. No one could survive that crash.”

“I did,” Orion says. “Magic talking pony, remember? I slowed the ship’s trajectory down when I realized she wasn’t going to let me save her, and so... here I am.”

Troi smiles thinly. “I would’ve expected nothing less of you, Captain Shadow.”

“Why am I here, anyway?” Orion asks. “This isn’t my place.”

Troi nods. “We found you... your first officer placed a distress call when she realized how long you were taking, and we picked you up.” The smile fades. “It is just as well... we need your help, Orion. The war between the Dominion and the Federation threatens all reality. You are the only hope left.”

Orion sighs heavily. “It's not my war. I will have no part of it.”

“You can't ignore it forever,” Troi replies.

“I help where I can. I will not fight,” Orion continues.

“Because you are a good man, as you call yourself?” Troi asks.

Orion nods. “Pony, but yes.”

“Then you must accept that you are a part of this, Orion, whether you like it or not,” Troi continues. “Were your wife present, she would beg your help, as we beg your help now. The universe stands on the brink. Will you let it fall?”

There is a very long pause. Finally, he speaks. “No.”

* * *

A long time afterwards, Orion’s ship is flying through space, battered and bruised by the many battles it has fought in. Orion himself isn’t much better, the bloodshed and horror has aged him well beyond his years. Alone in his ready room, he speaks: “Humans of the Federation, Jem’Hadar of the Gamma Quadrant, I serve notice on you all. Too long I have stayed my hoof. No more. Today you leave me no choice. Today, this war will end.” He presses a button on a nearby console, and a message is sent to every computer in Federation space, and the Dominion itself: “No more.”

Raven pokes her head into her husband's ready room. “Are you completely sure you know what you’re doing?” she asks.

Orion sighs heavily. “No, not really... you know, like always.” The ship shakes, and his communication badge beeps: “Sir, it’s the Dominion again! This is their biggest ever attack, sir. They're throwing everything at us!”

“On our way,” Orion says, trotting swiftly to the bridge. It’s a madhouse, smoke fills the air from fires that have begun all over the ship. Another bang sends the weapons chief crashing to the floor, apparently dead. Raven races to take his spot as Orion settles into his chair, hurriedly typing something into the console on the arm. “Don’t let them build to full power!” he calls over the ruckus.

“I know!” Raven calls back. “There’s a reason why I’m shooting, honey! What are you doing?”

“Helping!” Orion exclaims, pressing several buttons. Magical photon torpedoes go firing out of the ship’s weapons banks.

Raven rolls her eyes. “You’ve got a screwdriver, go build a cabinet!”

“That’s really rude!” Orion looks scandalized.

Raven glares at him. “Shut up and drive!”

Orion rolls his eyes and takes the ship into warp. As he does so, he shouts “Engineering! Ready the Moment!”

Up ahead, a time eddy forms, and the ship is sucked inside, propelling it into the future.

* * *

The Endeavour flew slowly past a large blue and green object. On the bridge, the crew were gathered around. “Analysis, Miss Sparkle,” ordered Gem.

Twilight looked over her readings. “Sensors are reading gravimetric fluctuations, Captain. Most unusual ones.”

Raven leaned forward, confused. “Unusual in what way? Specify?”

“Nothing I have seen before,” Twilight said helpfully.

“Is it a wormhole?” wondered Gem, getting to her feet and peering at the screen. She took out a pair of glasses from her pocket so she could see better, they resembled her father’s.

Twilight could only shrug. “Yes and no. Like a time displacement, but it does not have a discernible event horizon.”

“Ma’am, navigational subsystems are unable to give coordinates on the object,” broke in Aria.

Twilight nodded in affirmation. “Confirmed. The phenomenon does not have a definable center or outer edge.”

“Are you saying it is and yet it isn't there?” Raven asked.

“If that’s so, then we may as well call it Schrodinger’s wormhole,” Gem commented.

Twilight shrugged some more. “I do not have sufficient information to make an analysis as yet, Commander. The dynamics of the radiation patterns-”

“Captain! Something's happening. A new change in sensor readings!” interrupted Adagio. A ship-like object began to drift out of the time eddy and into view. As it did so, the warm lights of the bridge darkened into cold blues, and the crew were thrown into deep shadows. Their outfits changed, gaining high closed collars. Gem’s beloved magic screwdriver, which she kept in a pocket of her uniform, transformed into a laser screwdriver while everyone else was suddenly wearing blasters.

Gem, seemingly unaware of the changes, frowned. “Miss Dazzle, what are their sensor readings? Is that an enemy vessel?”

Adagio shook her head, “Negative, Captain. It’s definitely a Federation starship. Accessing registry.”

“Looks like they had a rough ride,” commented Raven.

Adagio broke in again. “NCC-1123. USS _Shadowfall_.”

* * *

_"Military log, combat date 80684.8: While investigating an unusual radiation anomaly, the Endeavour has encountered what could almost be called a ghost from its own past, the Shadowfall, the immediate predecessor to this battleship."_

On the [bridge](http://bit.ly/2KGMqNE), Gem is sitting in her command chair, the only such chair in that section of the bridge. Raven is beside her, leaning on the rail.

"Sensors confirm design and specifications, Captain. Analysis of hull and engine materials conform to engineering patterns and methods of that time period," Twilight informs Gem, looking at her screen.

"But that ship was destroyed with all hands over twenty years ago," says Sonata, in disbelief.

“Presumed destroyed. The Shadowfall was last seen near the Jem’Hadar outpost Narendra Three exactly twenty two years, three months and four days ago,” Twilight says.

“And now they're here,” finishes Raven.

“Has it been adrift for all those years, or has it has travelled through time?” wonders Gem.

Twilight shrugs. “It is a possibility, Captain. If that hypothesis is correct, the phenomenon we just encountered would be a temporal rift in space. Possibly the formation of a Kerr loop from superstring material. It would require high-energy interactions occurring in the vicinity for such a structure to be formed. The rift is certainly not stable, Captain. It could collapse at any time.”

Adagio interrupts again. “Captain, I'm able to scan the interior of the ship now, ma'am. Heavy damage to warp field nacelles and hull bearing struts. Internal space frame is… Life-signs, Captain! Readings are sporadic. It looks like they have massive casualties, but some are still alive.”

“Bridge to Sickbay. Emergency teams, stand by transporter rooms,” says Raven at once.

“Understood,” says Dustin’s voice.

“Belay that order, Doctor,” Gem says quickly.

Raven sighs. “Respectfully, if I may suggest regardless of where they came from, they are here now and they need our help.”

Gem nods. “Commander, if that ship has travelled into the future, we could be dealing with variables that will alter the flow of our history. I understand the need to assist them, but we have to very, very careful. No swashbuckling rescues."

“Shadowfall is sending out a distress call, Captain. Audio only,” says Adagio. The call is played over the speakers. Orion’s voice is heard. “This is Captain Shadow of the Starship Shadowfall, to any Federation ship. We have been attacked by Jem’Hadar warships and require immediate assistance. We've lost warp drive. Life support is failing.”

Gem opens a hailing frequency and announces, “This is Captain... Gemini of the Federation... of a Federation starship. Standby to receive emergency teams.” She turns back to Raven. “Commander, we will handle this one step at a time. Stabilize their power systems and tend to their injured, and avoid all discussions of where and when they are.”

“Aye, ma’am,” Raven says.

Gem raises her hands, which have begun to glow, and spreads them out over the room in a grand gesture. Magic fills the air, transforming the bodies of her fellow Equestrians so they look more like Earth humans. “A disguise,” she explains. “We can’t take any unnecessary chances. It should last 72 hours.”

“Captain, message coming in from Starfleet monitor stations. Jem’Hadar battlecruisers headed towards this sector,” interrupts Aria.

Gem nods. “Battle alert, Miss Blaze. Condition Yellow.”

* * *

Captain Shadow, Lieutenant Dazzle, Commander Emerald Wave, and eight others, members of the medical and engineering crews, materialize on the bridge of the Shadowfall. The bridge lights are dimmed, flickering lights from small fires cast an eerie glow, shadows dance in the erratic light, a thin vapor of smoke hangs in the air. Sparks emit from damaged consoles, and the smell of burnt electronic equipment hangs heavy in the air. Casualties litter the floor, some dead, some near death. The viewscreen flickers with static, rendering it useless.

Gem surveys the situation. “Commander Wave, take your team to main engineering. Priorities are life support, impulse engines, and weapons.” Emerald nods and takes her team to the turbolift. 

* * *

Once in the _Shadowfall's_ engineering area, the _Endeavour's_ crew gets to work. "Ensign Doe, what are their magic readings?" Emerald asked.

"Magic readings are at 57%, ma'am," said Ensign Doe.

Emerald sighed. "Just great... we're running low again. When it gets to 30%, let me know and I'll refill it. Understood?"

Ensign Doe saluted. "Aye-aye, ma'am."

* * *

Gem continues to give orders. “Medics, fan out and treat those that can be saved. Treat in place, under no circumstances are any casualties to be transported to our ship. After that, head to Sickbay and assist the crew there.” The medics move methodically among the injured. “Lieutenant, assess tactical and weapons systems from here and see what her battle capabilities are. And get that viewscreen working, if you can.”

“Aye, Captain,” Adagio acknowledges, and she goes to work.

Gem spots the older pony and moves to him. “Easy, Captain, we're here to help. I'm Captain Gemini.” A vague memory clicks in Gem's mind, like she's seen this pony before. She writes it off as a memory from battle classes, probably saw his picture in an old textbook, but somehow she feels … she knows him. “Can you tell us what happened?” she asks as a medic assesses his vital signs.

Orion looks thoughtful for several moments, looking halfway delirious. "I was just about to deploy a weapon my Engineering crew designed... one that would decisively end this accursed war once and for all... but before I could give the order to fire, we passed through a rift in space-time and here we are now..." In a moment of clarity, he locks eyes with Gem. "Tell me, Captain Gemini... what year is it?"

“It's the year 2403,” Gemini says softly so the rest of Orion's crew doesn't overhear. “Captain Shadow, it appears you were brought into the future before you could complete your task, and as a result, the war you were to end continues on.” She looks at the medic. “How is he?” she asks.

“Vitals stable but weak, no fractures or other serious injuries noted, thaumaturgic levels almost depleted. He'll need high-calorie volume replacement to recharge, but I don't know if the replicators on board can supply that with the low power they have,” the medic replies.

Gem looks grim, and thinks, before nodding to the medic. “Captain, we'd like to bring you aboard our ship, help you heal up a bit and recharge your magical reserves. My crew will assist yours in effecting repairs to your vessel in your absence.”

“Captain, message from our ship, ma'am. The Jem'Hadar will be in this sector within the next sixteen hours. Tactical Fleets Charlie and Kilo are moving to intercept, but that won't delay them too long,” Adagio announces.

Gem facepalms. "Oh, just what we needed... Captain Shadow, would you like to come aboard?"

Orion nods. "I would like that very much, Captain Gemini."

Gem nods too. "Good, good... once we're done here, we can use that time to prepare for battle and find you a way home. I want this war over and done with just as badly as you do."

* * *

While Gem, Adagio, and Emerald are busy aboard the _Shadowfall_ , Staring warily at the viewscreen, Commander Shadow scanned the starfield ahead for any signs of activity.  “I know the bastards are out there.  Tactical, report!”

The secondary tactical officer tapped his screen.  “I read four cloak signatures, flanking us in a diagonal pattern.  They're trying to  box us in, ma'am!”

Raven snarled.  “Navigation, lay in a course.  Thirty-two degrees mark sixteen, and minus ninety.  Helm, ready Warp Seven on my mark only!”

Ensign Blaze responded, “Aye-aye, ma'am!  Thirty-two degrees mark sixteen and minus ninety, ma'am!”

Ensign Dusk tapped her panel. “Ma'am, Warp Seven ready on command, ma'am!”

Four Jem'Hadar ships decloaked, their weapons powering up.  “Now!” Raven barked.

The Endeavour powered up and immediately dove, as the Jem'Hadar ships all fired simultaneously.  The disruptor bolts impacted with each other, creating a shock wave that destroyed the Jem'Hadar ships, all sitting at close range.

“All threats neutralized, ma'am!” The secondary tactical officer reported.

Raven smiled grimly. "I love it when a battle comes together."

* * *

Twilight is in sickbay, helping the medics in making more synthetic blood to replace what had been lost after a recent battle with the Jem'Hadar. She studies the latest test results, and peered at the sample under the microscope.  “No, the red cell counts are still too low, and the platelets aren't functioning like they should!” she said in exasperation.

Her assistant scribbled some notes.  “What shall we do, Miss Sparkle?” she asked.

Twilight sighed.  “Increase the hemoglobin by fifteen percent.  We're close, I can feel it!”  She headed for her office.  “And, scrap the latest batch.  Salvage what you can and send the rest through the matter reclamation chamber.”

Dustin, meanwhile, is keeping to himself. The door chime shook Dustin out of his brief moment of rest.  “In!” he barked.

The door slid open and a nurse entered, bearing a PADD.  “Latest casualty reports, Doctor.” She handed the PADD over to Dustin, who reluctantly accepted it.  He scanned the data, and once finished, threw the PADD roughly down on the desk.  “Dammit!  Sixteen more gone, and all for nothing.  Is Doctor Anderson on rounds now?”

The nurse looked at the floor.  “Doctor Anderson … he – he was … I'm sorry, Doctor, he ended up suiciding on Hangar Bay Two last night.  Security tried to stop him, but he didn't listen … they said he smiled when he turned the phaser on himself.”  The nurse blinked back her tears.  “Doctor Jones is covering.  I'm sorry, Doctor Hoofer.”

Dusting sighed.  “Thank you, nurse. Is there anything else?"

The nurse thought for a moment, then nodded. "The captain of the _Shadowfall_ has been brought aboard, Captain Shadow requests your presence."

Dustin nodded. "I'm on my way. You are dismissed.”  After the nurse left, Dustin turned the lights down low, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, letting his emotions run unfettered in the darkened office.

* * *

Sunset is in her office with a young cadet who has recently been assigned to the Endeavour. She's crying into Sunset's shoulder, while she strokes her hair in an attempt to comfort her. "I just miss my dad so much..." sobbed the cadet. "Why would he do such a thing?"

Sunset sighed and continued to comfort the distraught cadet as best she could. "He was like so many others who have done this during this war, Cadet Anderson... noble, but broken by the weight of all he'd seen. War takes a toll on everyone... but I don't need to tell you that." 

Cadet Anderson straightens up, "What am I going to do now?"

"The only thing you can do," Sunset replied. "Fight on. My door is always open if you need it."

Nodding, the cadet gave Sunset a hug and left the room.

* * *

Orion is laying on a biobed, lightly snoring as a tube pumps a high-calorie food directly into his stomach. Doctor Dustin Hoofer stands next to Gemini, both of them observing the sleeping pony. “If he had lost any more from his magic reserves, we'd have been planning a military funeral right now. What do you suppose he was up to, that would have drained him so fast and so almost completely?”

"Probably some sort of time spell," Gem says, touching her fingers to her chin in thought. "Judging by his cutie mark, it's his specialty. And I know I'd do the same if it was me." As she stares at Orion a while longer, she frowns. "You know, I can't help but feel as though he seems familiar to me... like I've seen him somewhere before. But where? When? How? Who is he really?"

Orion mutters in his sleep, "I loathe bus stations... full of lost luggage and souls..."

“Captain, something about this doesn't feel right. I'm not referring to finding the ship and him, but in general. Like, this isn't how things are supposed to be.” Dustin looks worried. “Do you think that his being here has changed the overall timeline?”

Before Gem could answer, her comm badge beeps. “Sparkle to captain. I have more information on the Shadowfall and her general mission.”

"What have you found, Miss Sparkle?" Gem asks. "It's good news, I hope."

“The Shadowfall was engaged in a battle at Narendra-Three. According to historical records, the Shadowfall was about to deploy a weapon that would have ended the war between the Federation and the Dominion, yet the ship disappeared before it had a chance to use it. The Federation suffered heavy losses that day, and the Dominion was able to expand its reach further into the Alpha Quadrant, to the point where we currently stand against them,” Twilight reported.

Dustin looked at Gem. “If there's a chance to put an end to this bloodshed, we have to do it. I'm about at my breaking point with all of the casualties, and if we can stop the needless loss of life …”

Gem nods in agreement. "Miss Sparkle, what are their chances of survival if they were to go back through the rift?"

“Based on the data Lieutenant Blaze has sent over, coupled with Commander Wave's assessment of their engines … sending them back is essentially sending them to their deaths,” Twilight said grimly.

Gem sighs heavily, looking forlornly to Dustin. "We can't keep them there, but we can't send them back... I'll not have a hundred innocent deaths on my hands, Doctor. What CAN we do?"

“Doctor Hoofer to ICU, stat! Code blue, ICU bed two!” came the announcement over the intercom. Medics and nurses began moving quickly to the intensive care ward as Dustin looked gravely at Gem. “One hundred to end the war, or millions to continue it. It's your call.” He hurried off toward the ICU, leaving Gem standing alone next to Orion's bed.

After a few hours, Orion's eyes drift open. Gem is sitting in a chair nearby, and looks up when he stirs. "Did you sleep well?" she asks.

"I suppose," says Orion after a few moments. "In my dreams, I heard something about going back…. can it be done?"

Gem nods. "Yes... but we cannot guarantee your safety. My crew has informed me that if you return to your own time, you will die."

"I have no desire to survive this," Orion says quietly. "Every moment in time and space is burning. It must end, and I intend to end it the only way I can. The weapon I will use is called the Moment... when detonated, it will create an explosion so powerful that every Dominion and Federation ship in range will be caught up in its blast, allowing the Federation to strike the final blow and end the war once and for all."

"But what's powering it?" Gem asks. "A weapon that strong doesn't just get power from anywhere."

"My ship's warp core," Orion replies.

There is a very long silence. "You would risk your own life to save the universe?" Gem asks in astonishment.

"As someone once said... the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," Orion says. “Besides... Great men, or women, are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser beings to light the flame, whatever the cost." He places a hoof on her hand. "I don't know what it is about you, Captain Gemini... but I feel you must be a great officer to have gotten this far. But to be a great officer requires occasionally making great sacrifices... I know you want to save us. But you can't. We're dead already. Just... help us while you still can."

Gem hugs him tight, running her fingers through his mane. "I will," she whispers, choking back tears. "I will."

* * *

_“Military log, supplemental: After learning the Shadowfall's mission, I have ordered our engineering crew to assist the Shadowfall in restoring their warp engine. While useless for propulsion, the energy can be used to power what Captain Shadow calls 'The Moment,' a weapon that will end the war against the Dominion permanently. We are also monitoring the approach of the Jem'Hadar fleet, and the efforts of our fleet to slow their approach.”_

Gemini paced on the bridge. “Current status of the enemy fleet, Miss Dusk?”

“One hour, seventeen minutes to arrival, Captain,” Sonata replied.

“Weapons status?”

“All weapons primed and ready,” Adagio said from her station.

“Wave to Endeavour. We've done what we can to get the Shadowfall's warp core stable. Her shields are still dicey, she won't withstand a hit from the Jem'Hadar's ships in the condition she's in.”

Gem nodded. “Understood, Commander. Beam back here as soon as you're able.”

Aria checks her status board. “Engineering team and final medical teams have returned, Captain,” she said.

"Excellent," Gem says, nodding. She turns to Orion, who has been standing nearby. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Orion replies.

Gem nods. "Best of luck, Captain. We'll try to cover you from their assault until you can get back to the rift."

"Understood." Orion salutes, then makes his way to the turbolift and off to the transporter room.

* * *

Once back in his own ship, Orion settles into his command chair, looking over at Raven. "Looks like it's just us, my love," he says. "Two ponies against the rest of the universe... Well, us and the fine crew of the _Endeavour_."

“Let's just hope it works … I'd hate to think we died in vain,” Raven said, touching Orion's hoof.

Orion looks toward the viewscreen, once again functional. “Once more unto the breach then... Allons-y.” He touches a button and the _Shadowfall_ begins moving toward the rift.

* * *

Gem sits in her command chair, hand on her chin. "I can either flee the advancing Jem'Hadar vessels and risk getting shot at and having our warp core breach, or I can fight back and presumably die in battle."

Lieutenant Dazzle nodded. "That's exactly right, ma'am."

"Then I suppose, given this information... If we're going to die, let us take as many Jem'Hadar as we can," Gem said finally, resigned to her fate. 

“Groups Sierra, Tango, and Fox are awaiting orders, Captain,” Sonata said.

“Open a channel to the fleet,” Gem replied.

“Frequency open,” Adagio announced.

“ _Endeavour_ to incoming battle groups. Our mission is to protect the _Shadowfall_ and allow it safe passage through the rift. We must accomplish this even at the risk of our own lives. The _Shadowfall_ has the capability to put a stop to this conflict if it is allowed to complete its mission. The war ends with us; we draw the line here! All ships take up defensive positions around the _Shadowfall_ and the rift and prepare for battle. _Endeavour_ out.” Gem sat down in the command chair. “Let the games begin,” she said grimly.

An explosion rocks the ship. “It seems the Jem'Hadar have arrived, Captain,” Commander Raven said dryly.

“All weapons to bear on the incoming ships! Fire at will!” commanded Gem. The Endeavour whirled toward her adversaries and a barrage of photon torpedoes streaked away, striking several Jem'Hadar warships. The Shadowfall was almost completely through the rift.

"Jem'Hadar returning fire!  Our shields won't take it!" Adagio yelled as the first blasts struck.  Explosions rocked the ship, flinging Sonata and Aria to the deck, their eyes frozen open in a dead-woman's stare. After several minutes, one of the enemy ships hails the Endeavour: "Federation ship _Endeavour_. Surrender and prepare to be boarded."

"That'll be the day," Gem replies, as the Endeavour fired her death volley. At that precise moment, the Shadowfall glides safely back through the rift.

* * *

"Report, Lieutenant Dazzle," orders Gem, now back in her proper uniform. Her normal Equestrian skin tone has also returned, as it has for the rest of the bridge crew.

Adagio checks the monitor again. "Readings fluctuated momentarily. It appeared to be a ship, but then it vanished."

"The phenomenon is closing in on itself, Captain," adds Twilight.

Gem nods. "Very well. Miss Dazzle, launch a sensor buoy toward the last known position of the rift, we'll collect what data we can. Miss Dusk, lay in a course for Archer Four."

“Aye, Captain,” Sonata says, “course laid in and ready.”

“Sickbay to Bridge, is everything okay up there?” asked a worried Dustin.

"All is well here, Doctor," Gem replies. "Why do you ask?"

“Just a funny feeling is all … never mind, then. Sickbay out.”

Gem nods, and goes to her ready room. She is taken aback to find someone sitting in her chair, behind her desk. “Well done, mon capitain, I didn't think you had it in you,” said a strange voice. “Seems you take after dear old daddy after all.”

Gem stares. "I... what? Who... who are you? When did you get here? And why? Had what in me? What in Equestria are you talking about?" she babbles, completely thrown for a loop.

The humanoid looked hurt. He clutched his hand to his chest as if wounded. "Why, I can't believe you don't recognize me, after all this time ... oh, wait, maybe you'd know me better like this." The man stood up and snapped his fingers. Instantly, he transformed into a draconequus wearing a Starfleet uniform with admiral's insignia. "Perhaps this jogs your memory a bit?'

Gem smiles a little. "That's better! What a pleasant surprise! It's been ages since I saw you last!" She goes over and hugs him gently, feeling 9 years old again. "How's Auntie Fluttershy these days?" Then she pauses, thinks, and shakes her head rapidly. "Time for chit-chat later... why did you come? I mean, it's not that I'm not happy to see you, and I am... I'm just surprised is all."

Discord sits down after conjuring up a cup of tea. He takes a sip, and the cup disappears, leaving the tea suspended in mid-air. “I'm actually here on business, dear Gemini,” he says, tapping the tea and watching it dissolve into dust. “You see, while you may know me as old uncle Discord, source of mirth and causer of many a pony's migraines, I exist out here as this-” He snaps his fingers again, and returns to humanoid form. “I am a member of the Q Continuum, omnipotent non-corporeal beings who control the very fabric of the universe. And they sent me here to test you today. I'm happy to say, you passed admirably.” A mortarboard cap with purple tassel appears on Gem's head.

"Test me?" Gem looks completely bewildered. "But... there wasn't any test! Just a disturbance in the fabric of space-time that turned out to be nothing at all, our instruments told us so!" She tilts her head to one side. "And you're saying I passed?"

“The fact that you remember nothing of what you just went through confirms that,” Q/Discord replied. “Had you retained even one sliver of memory, then things would have been drastically different. But, you chose the correct course of action and all is now well.”

Gem continues to look confused. "I'd say that you aren't making any sense, but... that's kind of been your entire deal." So she settles for smiling again. "Will you be here long? I think the rest of the girls would be very happy to see you too."

“I'm afraid I must go, I need to create an ion storm in a remote part of the Beta Quadrant, give those Federation scientist types something to fret about. Don't worry, they won't be permanently scarred, inside or out.” Q rises and salutes Gem. “Oh, and give my regards to good ol' Jean-Luc, would you dearie?” He grins, and snaps his fingers, disappearing from view. His disembodied voice echoes through the ready room, “Oh, nice job with the Klingons on Organia, by the way. Most impressive indeed.”

"Thank you," Gem says, blushing. "I'll see you around, I suppose." And she turns to leave, going back through the door.

A chuckle was heard in the empty room. “Count on it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L: Our take on Yesterday’s Enterprise, and our first attempt to get Gem and Orion together commanding their respective ships. We did take some liberties with the episode at large, instead placing Orion in the throat of the Dominion Wars of DS9, which made more sense to us, given Orion had only come aboard during the time of TNG.


	7. Blame the Machines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The exploration of a J-class nebula goes wrong when Emerald is possessed by a race that has used the nebula as its home, and wants the Endeavour to leave.

_"Captain's log, stardate 80703.9: The Endeavour is exploring a J-class nebula with the intention of gathering deuterium. We've been here several days already, and to be perfectly honest, I’m starting to feel a little… unsettled.”_

Meanwhile, Sunset and Raven were walking down a hall to the bridge, talking amongst themselves. “How goes the particle collecting, Commander?” Sunset asked.

Raven smiled. “We've got enough deuterium to power the warp engines for another thousand light years.”

Sunset nodded approvingly, “Excellent.” Then she paused, and a worried look came over face.

“Is something wrong?” Raven asked, looking concerned.

Sunset nodded. “Now that you mention it, there is something that I feel compelled to share with you in my capacity as ship’s counselor. The crew seem a little on edge.”

Raven blinked. “Oh? They don't appear particularly anxious to me.”

Sunset chuckled. “They're very good at hiding their fears. Starfleet training. I was wondering how soon we might be leaving this nebula. Knowing could help me assure them.”

Raven shrugged. “It's difficult to say. The Bussard Collectors are running at maximum, but it's a slow process. We could be here for several more days. But if you’re worried, I can assure you, a J class nebula is no cause for alarm.”

“We’ll see about that,” Sunset said, as they reached the bridge. The two women took their seats on either side of the captain’s chair. Gem stepped in from her ready room and sat down. “Report, Miss Blaze!”

Aria Blaze, with her new lieutenant’s insignia on her collar, glanced at her screen. “All systems running within normal parameters, nothing immediately detectable ahead – hm.”

“What is it, Lieutenant?” Raven asked.

“I showed a sensor anomaly for a fraction of a second. Not sure the cause as nothing is registering ahead of us. Initiating Level Four diagnostic.”

“Good work, Miss Blaze. Miss Dusk, engine function?”

“Engines running smooth, power consumption normal,” Sonata, also sporting lieutenant’s pips, replied.

“Very well,” Gem said, settling into her chair. “Continue on course.”

* * *

Peering into the conference room during Doctor Dustin Hoofer's weekly medical inservice training, one would have thought it was being converted into a museum. Ancient medical devices sat on the table – otoscropes, opthalmascopes, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, all arranged neatly in front of orange bags marked with the Starfleet Medical logo. Inside each bag was an array of bandages and dressings, cravats for forming slings, larger padding for major traumatic injuries, tubes designed to open and maintain a clear airway, and open spaces for the equipment currently on display.

Dustin is instructing a nurse on the proper application of a blood pressure cuff on his right arm. “Remember, it goes on snug, but not too tight, or the fabric closures will pull apart once you start inflating it. It should be high enough above the crook of the arm to not cover the elbow.” He watched as the nurse made the application. He checked the fit. “Great job,” he said with a smile. He stretched out his arm for everyone to see. “Take a good look at the cuff itself. Notice there's an arrow pointing down, with the word “ARTERY” written above it. This is a reference marker for placing the cuff correctly along the brachial artery, which is located where, Doctor Samuels?” he asked a bored-looking man seated opposite him.

“It's located on the inner edge of the arm, opposite the thumb,” Samuels replied as if from rote, “and I still don't understand why we are being made to train with this equipment when we have perfectly good and functional modern diagnostic and treatment tools at our disposal.”

Dustin picked up a medical tricorder with sensor probe. “Yes, they're wonderful devices, aren't they? The best equipment from the finest minds in Starfleet. It's reached a point where, like most of the systems on this ship, they're fairly self-maintaining, requiring a manual check once every several years.” He set the equipment down. “We've become technologically dependent in Starfleet, and it's a disturbing trend. Too much is automated – there's even a machine to fix all of the other machines.”

Samuels nodded. “Indeed, our engineers have done a wonderful job over the centuries perfecting this stuff, but with all due respect, what is your point, Doctor?”

Dustin chuckled. “You know, I've been around diplomatic sorts long enough to know that 'with all due respect' is simply a polite and politic way to say 'go screw yourself.' I know you think I came from some little backwoods place where technology is viewed as magical and wondrous,” he continued, “and, admittedly, Equestria isn't quite up to speed with the current state of electronic wonders we take for granted here.” He began to slowly walk over to Samuels. “It's for that reason we had to learn to think on our feet, or in the case of my counterparts on Equestria, hooves. We didn't rely on machines to solve our problems, we had to actually get ourselves dirty and do the work. And it's because of that upbringing, I've asked myself a question no one else on the whole of the Federation has asked.” Stopping in front of Samuels, he leaned in and said in a very quiet voice, but loud enough for all to hear, “That question is, what happens when that machine – the machine that fixes all of the other machines – breaks?” He let his question linger for a long while as he returned to his place at the front of the conference room.

“This is why,” he continued when he reached the front of the room again, “we are learning to use this equipment and it is being placed in service. We have trained in the manual defibrillator and electrocardiogram reader, we've worked with traction splinting and spinal immobilization equipment, and we will continue to work with these basic tools to gain proficiency with them. I have duplicates available for practice, please ask for them and use them. Goodness knows we aren't all that busy down here so there's plenty of time to do that. Now then, nurse, let's finish checking my blood pressure.” The nurse moved back over to Dustin and, following his instruction, places he stethoscope on his arm and began inflating the cuff.

* * *

An oddly shaped nebula looms out of the darkness. "What a curious shape," Gem comments. "Like something out of Poe..."

"I think it looks like a vampire bat," says Raven. "You can make out the wings, even the ears." As she speaks, the bridge lights begin to flicker. Raven gulps. "Uhoh…"

Further comment never makes it out of Raven’s mouth as all of the ship’s systems shut down. The engines cease operation, bringing the ship to a complete stop. Darkness covers the ship until dim emergency lighting blinks on a few seconds later. The bridge crew frantically check their status readouts and attempt to communicate with departments further in the ship.

“Report!” Raven called out.

“All systems offline except for emergency power and life support,” Twilight reported. “Sensors and deflector shields down.”

“Navigation and weapons are offline,” Aria added.

“Warp and impulse engines are offline, too,” said Sonata.

Down in Sickbay, illuminated by the emergency lighting, Dustin and staff checked the medical equipment. “It’s no use, Doctor, we have no access to the main computers, all the medical equipment is down.”

* * *

In Engineering, Emerald Wave was busy at a workstation while her crew moved quickly to restore essential ship’s functions. “Anyone have any idea what just happened?” she asked in frustration.

“Not a clue, Emerald,” one of the senior techs replied. “What just happened shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Every single bypass and redundant system was simply … ignored.”

Emerald sighed, slowly leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. "For Luna's sake, this ship isn't exactly a bucket of bolts!" She taps her comm. badge. "Captain, it's Emerald. Pardon my language, but what in Tartarus is going on up there?”

"I wish we knew, Lieutenant Commander," says Gem's voice. "All I can say is that once we approached the nebula, our power was lost."

"My team's doing its best to turn everything back on," Emerald replies, "But no luck yet. Wave out, will report back soon." She touches a softly glowing finger to her glasses, engaging investigation mode. Data streams past her eyes at a rapid pace, but it seems the solution is beyond even her knowledge. "Dammit!" She slams a fist on her console. "I've got nothing!"

The senior tech approaches Emerald. “Em, I don’t think we have a choice. As long as the systems are down anyway, we should conduct Level 1 diagnostics on those systems before trying to bring them back online.”

Emerald sighed. “And do you know how long that will take?”

The tech nodded. “Even divvying up the systems amongst us, we’re still talking several hours at best. If we double up on the critical systems, we might be able to cut that time a bit.”

“Meanwhile, we sit floating in space, hoping something doesn’t come along and mistake us for a snack or use us for target practice.” Emerald rose from her chair. “Better get to work, then. Wake up off-duty support staff if you need to, I want as many hands working as possible. Let’s go.” Emerald and the tech headed off toward the engine room.

As Emerald's group approach the engine room, a sudden discharge penetrates the hull of the ship, causing sparks and a fire right where Emerald was standing. She gasps and falls to the ground, her hair standing on end.

The tech quickly taps his badge. "Engineering to sickbay, I need help in the engine room. Lieutenant Commander Wave has just been hit by an electromagnetic discharge."

“Sickbay acknowledges, we’re on the way,” Nurse Stonewall replied, “Sickbay out.” She ran over to Dustin. “Doctor Hoofer, medical emergency in Engineering!”

“Okay, you and Nurse Davis are with me,” Dustin said, placing items on a rolling gurney. “Doctor Samuels, come along too. The rest of you, set up for a trauma emergency like we practiced.” The four left Sickbay and headed for the nearest turbolift.

* * *

Arriving in Engineering, Emerald was still laying on the floor when the medical team arrived. “Good, you didn’t move her. Now, let’s see what’s going on.” He knelt down next to Emerald, taking out a penlight. “Commander, can you hear me? If so, tell me what happened,” he asked, checking in Emerald’s ears and nose before flicking the light across her eyes.

Emerald doesn't say anything, while her eyes are open her pupils don't move. She acts as though Dustin isn't even there. The tech from earlier takes up the slack, "We were coming down to see if anything could be done about the power from here when... I don't know! It sounded like something shorted out, and the next thing I knew, she was like this!”

Dustin quickly squeezed along one of Emerald’s arms. “Okay, no fractures, Nurse Davis, go ahead with the blood pressure.” He watches Emerald’s chest rise and fall while he check for further injury. “Respirations are 8, she’s really out. Pupils are fixed and dilated. Doctor Samuels, hook her up for an EKG please.” He moves out of the way while Samuels cuts away Emerald’s tunic and applies the sticky pads on Emerald’s chest. Dustin checkks around Emerald’s feet and finds a small burn mark on her boot. “Okay, there’s point of contact, but no exposed wiring for electrocution… what’s her blood pressure, nurse?”

“98 over 52,” replied Nurse Davis.

“I’m seeing bradycardia on the scope,” Samuels says, turning the screen so Dustin can see. “Rate about 54.”

Dustin cursed softly. “Okay, let’s get her loaded,” Dustin ordered. “Nurse Stonewall, prepare a nonrebreather mask at fifteen liters of oxygen, please. The rest of you…” Dustin indicated where he wanted the medics to position themselves. “You there,” he said to the senior tech, “help support her midsection and lift on my count.” once everyone was in place, Dustin called out, “Okay, on three … THREE!” Everyone lifted Emerald and placed her on the gurney. “Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of her,” Dustin said to the tech, “and if you can get my sickbay up and running post-haste, I would greatly appreciate it.” He led the medical team, guiding the gurney with Emerald, out the doors and back to the turbolift.

* * *

_"Captain's log, supplemental: The Endeavour is currently without power save for emergency backup systems after an electromagnetic charge penetrated the hull. Lieutenant Commander Wave is currently in sickbay being treated for injuries she sustained when the charge hit."_

Approaching a replicator, Gem orders a cup of her usual Earl Grey only to find that scalding hot liquid appears before the cup does. She sighs. "This is why I usually rely on bags…"

“Commander Shadow to Captain, I have a status report,” Raven’s voice announces over the comm badge.

Gem taps her badge. “Go ahead, Commander.”

“Engineering has managed to restore limited helm and navigation. We are maneuverable on impulse power only for now. Medical systems re up and running again, and according to our illustrious doctor, and I quote, ‘it’s about Celestia-damned time.’ He’s also reporting several more cases similar to Lieutenant Commander Wave, and he’s still stumped for a reason other than the technology is becoming homicidal. Oh, and replicators aren’t working quite to normal yet, better stick to your teabags and avoid anything synthesized for a little while.”

"So I gathered, Commander," Gem says dryly. "Thank you. Shadow out."

The discharge moves around the ship, affecting every system it can find. Twilight is nearly killed when a turbolift goes rogue, stopping only when Emerald's second-in-command is able to pull the emergency stop lever. She staggers onto the bridge, concerned and shaken. "Captain, I believe the ship is trying to kill us," she says to Gem, who is brooding in her chair.

“If we could figure out why, or what’s behind all of this, we might be able to stop it,” Raven said.

“Hoofer to Bridge,” Dustin’s voice rang out over the intercom. “I’ve had six more attempts arrive in sickbay within the last hour. Whatever’s going on, it seems to have stopped playing around and is now playing for keeps. I’ve got two in critical condition down here with severe damage to their neurological systems. Any ideas on how to stop this whatever-it-is before someone dies?”

"Not yet, but we'll come up with something," Gem replies, just as Adagio pipes up from her console: "Captain. Bad news. The lifeform's infiltrated the main computer matrix. And we can't purge it without crashing the few systems we have left."

Gem considers this. "Computer, this is Captain Shadow. Please respond."

"Authorization code required," says the computer.

"Shadow four twenty seven juliet charlie!” Gem replies promptly. "Are you attempting to speak with us?"

"Unable to comply," says the computer unhelpfully.

Adagio studies her readout closely. “Captain, the lifeform is on the move again, it’s cleared the main computer and is following the medical conduits!”

“Hoofer to Captain. I don’t normally make requests of your time, especially in times of crisis, but I think you better get your self down here. And bring a few security officers with you.”

* * *

“It was very sudden,” Dustin explained to Gem. “A bright flash and all of a sudden, well ... take a look.”

Gem peered through the window of the secure isolation room. Laying on the bed, head raised, was Emerald. Her eyes glowed with a sickly green glow, obscuring her pupils completely. Small bolts of electricity shot from her, interfacing with the computer terminal in the room.

“If you’re gonna speak to her … it … whatever, I’d suggest you do it from here,” Dustin said, indicating a small intercom panel. “Any attempts to enter that room are met with strong electrostatic discharges.”

‘Emerald’ turned her head to stare at the captain through the window.

"I just want to know, what do you want?" Gem asks Emerald, or the thing controlling her. "Why have you taken over my friend? Why have you been trying to kill us? What do you want from us?"

There was an uneasy silence as ‘Emerald’ stared back at Gem for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the entity spoke. “You are … intruders. You seek to destroy us. We will fight you. We will destroy you before you get the chance to destroy us. We have learned.”

"You've learned wrong," Gem replies. "We are peaceful explorers, that's all! Passing through, helping out, learning. If it's a home you want, we can find it for you... just... please, don't do this. We won't hurt you." She thinks for a moment. "Forgive me, but... what -are- you?"

More silence. “You speak like the old ones,” the entity said. “They preached peace, help, and gave us death, destruction. All of us. What you see is our essence. We live in this cloud. The cloud sustains us. Nourishes us. You take our nourishment. Just like the others.” A sizable bolt strikes a display across the isolation room, destroying it with a shower of sparks. “We were once known as the Sen-Siddarians. Our race was strong, powerful. Now, we are shadows.”

"Well, we can't put back what we've already taken... but there are other J-class nebulas out there. Would taking you to one of those help?" Gem asks.

“THIS is our home!!” the entity roars, the air crackling with blue electric bolts. “We will go nowhere else! YOU are the ones that will leave!” The air calms down and the entity speaks as before. “You are the warning. You will tell others like you of us. You will warn them that coming here will mean their destruction. We will kill all, as the old ones killed us. We will see your essence roam the blackness, without form or home. You will know what we have known. And we will watch as you slowly fade from existence.”

Gem's eyes narrow. "I will not be intimidated," she says coldly. "I'm sorry for what happened to your people by previous ships, but committing one mass genocide in revenge for another isn't the answer!" She thinks for a moment. "if you can, release your hold on our friend... she has no quarrel with you.

She is innocent. And she might think of a way to help us both."

“You are all guilty,” says the entity, just as all of the power once again fails. Dustin’s staff race between patients, hand-held lights bobbing in the darkness. “We give you a taste of what you will face should you ever return.” The hum of the life support systems ceased. The air grew stale, difficult to breathe, causing some to collapse where they stood from lack of oxygen. The entity watched as Gem, too, succumbed to the lack of breathable air, dropping to one knee and gasping for breath, before the power returned, the life support system restarted, and fresh air once again began to flow through the ship.

“Your task is simple,” the entity said coldly. “Warn the others like you to never return to this cloud. Tell them that all that ignore this warning will be destroyed. We give no more warnings. Only death. Leave us to live as we are, and we will not seek vengeance. Go now. Talk to your others. We will await their response. Fail in this task, and you will all surely die.”

Eventually, Gem staggers to her feet and makes her way back to the bridge. Raven rushes over, worried. "Sis, what happened?! You look like you just nearly escaped death!"

"I did," Gem gasps, collapsing into her chair. "We've been threatened by a member of a race known as the Sen-Siddians," she says slowly. "They've taken over Emerald and they want us..." she paused as Twilight gave her some water, "They want us to tell Starfleet that if anyone else comes to their cloud to mine deuterium, they'll kill us all."

"And what happens if we don't tell them?" Raven asks.

"Then we'll die," Adagio says simply.

"What kind of a choice is that?!" Raven shouted.

"It's a Hobson's choice," Twilight explained. "It’s an expression our mothers used to use. They'd say, ‘I’ll give you a Hobson’s choice, Twilight—you can clean your room or I will stand in the doorway and sing your least favorite song over and over.”

"We need to contact Command," Gem managed. "How quickly can we do that from here?" she asks the room at large.

Adagio tapped a few places on her console. “Communications are functioning normally… in fact, they’re running even stronger than before.”

“Seems someone really wants us to send a message,” Raven said dryly.

* * *

“Starfleet records contain no knowledge of a race called the Sen-Siddians,” the admiral on the screen said, his brow stern. “Are you sure this isn’t some sort of Romulan hoax to get us out of this sector of space?”

“Admiral,” Gem said, “we know the Romulans are cruel in their methods, but even they wouldn’t stoop to such tactics over something as insignificant as a nebula.”

“Admiral, Captain,” Twilight said, studying her display, “it seems we now have a complete repository of information regarding the Sen-Siddarians. The nebula they inhabit once was their home planet, destroyed countless centuries ago by raiders seeking to tap the strong deuterium deposits in this area. It appears that the deuterium is self-replenishing, yet I can’t figure out how.”

“Can you transmit that information to me, Lieutenant Commander?” the admiral asked.

“In progress, Admiral,” Twilight replied.

“Very good. In the meantime, while we analyze the data, we will make this a quarantine zone, meaning no ships are allowed within 250 parsecs of the nebula. Captain, please place warning buoys at the edges of the zone to further warn any approaching ships to change course. Hopefully, this will be sufficient enough until we can attempt to establish further contact.”

“They don’t seem to want it, sir,” Sunset interrupted. “From what I can sense of the entity in sickbay, they seek isolation. I respectfully suggest that we give it to them.”

The admiral nodded. “Duly noted. Keep us informed. Starfleet out.” The image faded from the viewscreen.

A little while later, Gem returns to sickbay and resumes her discussion with the entity. "Command has ordered that your nebula be placed under quarantine," she says. "And in case anyone does come along, they'll be warned away. In short, once we leave here, you'll never see us or any Federation ship ever again. Does that satisfy requirements?"

After a moment of silence, the entity turns toward Gem. “You have completed your task. We will keep our promise to you. We return control of your ship, and leave in peace. We ask that you leave as well.”

The glow faded from Emerald’s eyes, and she dropped back against the pillow. Slowly raising her head, she looked around. “H-how did I get here?” She looks through the glass. “Gem? What’s going on?”

"Come to my ready room once Doctor Hoofer has checked you over," Gem says. "It's a bit of a long story.... But I'm very glad you're safe." She smiles in relief. "See you soon."

* * *

_"Captain's log, stardate 80708.2: The mysterious entity that took over our ship and one of our crew has left us, and in return, we have left its sector of space, never to return. We are now adrift in space, awaiting our next assignment.”_

"Commander Shadow to captain, you have an alpha priority communication from Command," says Raven's voice.

"Acknowledged," Gem says, giving her passcode to the screen in front of her. The admiral's face appears, looking very grave. "Captain Shadow, I am very sorry to have to tell you this, but I'm afraid I must: your parents were killed this morning in the line of duty, defending Equestria from Romulan attacks."

Gem's heart almost stopped. Her skin turned white. "Admiral... Surely... Surely there must be some mistake..."

"I'm afraid not," continues the admiral. "The Romulan fleet has withdrawn for now, but our intelligence indicates they are preparing another strike. We'll need your help, and soon."

"On... On our way, sir," Gem says. "Shadow out." The screen goes dark. Gem taps her comm. badge. "Raven, Sunset... I have some very bad news ... Please come to my ready room immediately." Then, without further warning, she buries her face into the nearest pillow and sobs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L: “What happens when that machine - the one that fixes all of the other machines -- breaks?” Yes, this was a line from a story published in the 1950s-era MAD magazine, about a technologically-dependent world where machines do practically everything. It’s also the kind of thing that Dustin would worry about, and prepare for. But, even after all of the times it practically happened in the series, no one in Starfleet prepared for lifeforms using the same systems to try to kill them.
> 
> C: The title is from a Duran Duran song about a German man who followed his satellite navigation device and ended up driving the wrong way on the autobahn. The song is a commentary on how reliant the world has become on technology, something that I think Starfleet could certainly be guilty of.


	8. Requiem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Romulans attempt to invade Equestria, and seek "peace" with the royal sisters. Meanwhile, Gem returns home for her parents' funeral, and discovers that something is connecting the Romulans invasion, her father's murder, and the crew acting as her relief aboard her ship.

The skies of Equestria were filled with Romulan warships as they moved to subjugate the ponies and bring them aboard as slaves. In Ponyville however, they were met with resistance. Twilight Sparkle and Emerald Wave, together with the former Element bearers, had turned the castle into a fortress, a last safe place for the ponies of the town to hide. Every protection spell known to pony kind had been cast, and so far, they had held.

A few blocks away, a small group of Romulans kicked down the doors to Shadowfall Manor and entered, searching for their quarry. Their mission was simple: find Orion Shadow and see that he forsake the Federation and join the Romulan Star Empire instead. Unknown to them, silent magical alarms were tripped, and booby traps located in strategic places throughout the manor were engaged.

In the master bedroom, Orion watched the proceedings on a magical mirror. "When should I go out and give them my usual dressing down, Raven?" he asked.

"Whenever you like," Raven said. "But I want to go with you this time."

"Of course you can," Orion says, calmly kissing her cheek. As he does so, most of the Romulan grunts get caught in Raven's traps, and are injured as a result. The squadron leader decides that asking Orion to join them is too much trouble, and orders that the house be destroyed just as he passes the master bedroom.

Orion opens the door and steps outside, looking calm. "Good afternoon, soldier," he says politely. "Would you care for a cup of tea? If I am going to die, I want to make sure my guests are well cared for first.”

The squadron leader points his blaster at Orion’s head. “You are a prisoner of the Romulan Star Empire. I will see to it that you are put in chains and made to do hard labor.”

“I don’t think you will,” Orion says coolly. “I trust you know who I am?”

The leader nodded. “You are Orion Shadow, former captain of the USS Shadowfall and the Federation ambassador to Equestria.”

Orion nods. “Correct. And I assume you’ve read my mission reports. You know I was one of the best captains the Federation has had in twenty years, and yet you still choose to imprison me?”

“That was not the original plan,” said the leader. “We were going to make you a member of the Empire, but…”

“You changed your minds,” Orion finishes. “In any event, the answer is no. I have spent my whole adult life protecting Equestria, and I will do so until the day I die!”

“That day will come very soon,” hisses the leader. “In moments, in fact.”

Orion’s horn flared to life as he fired a beam of magic right at the Romulan’s chest, throwing him to the floor. Then he creates a magical cage, trapping the invader. Pivoting on his hooves, he goes back into the bedroom. “Raven? If we go out there, we’re probably going to die. These are a ruthless bunch.”

“I know,” Raven said, “And I am ready for whatever comes our way, because we’ll be facing it together.”

Orion smiles. “That’s the spirit. Let’s go save Equestria.” And the two run downstairs and outside just as the mansion is destroyed. A prized grandfather clock, a family heirloom, crashes to the ground with one last chime of its bells. The face remains stuck at 11:23 in the morning.

* * *

_“Ship’s log, stardate 80708.2, Commander Twilight Sparkle reporting. The Endeavour is currently en route to Equestria, where Romulan ships have recently begun an attack on the town of Ponyville. Intelligence shared with us by Starfleet Command reports that the Romulans will try to force Equestria from the Federation and make them join the Romulan Star Empire. Our mission will be to prevent this from occurring with as little civilian casualties as possible. However, the recent murder of two of our progenitors, Orion and Raven Shadow, has made things very difficult. Understandably, our captain and first officer are in great distress, so they have placed me in temporary command of the Endeavour in addition to my existing duties as chief negotiator.”_

“Estimated arrival at Equestria is eleven hours, forty-two minutes,” Lieutenant Sonata Dusk announces from her console. “All systems running normal.”

“Sensors detect no nearby activity, all weapons and deflectors are ready,” Lieutenant Aria Blaze adds.

“Commander, it doesn’t make sense,” said Lieutenant Commander Adagio Dazzle from her station. “The Romulans know that such an act constitutes a direct declaration of war, yet they still went through with it. And then, to back off and say they want to negotiate? What could they want?”

“I really have no idea,” Twilight replied, turning to face Adagio. “All we know is that our home has been attacked, and Gem and Raven’s parents died defending it. I’ve heard nothing else from Starfleet, The Princesses, or even the Romulans, and yet I have to negotiate some sort of treaty. I don’t even know where to begin.”

"If it was me," Sunset said from her usual chair on the bridge, "I'd hide myself away in the library for a while and study up. You'll have the Princesses there to help, after all." She smiles and squeezes Twilight's hand gently. "Gem wouldn't have made you commander if she didn't think you could pull this off. She has faith in you, as do I. Right everyone?"

The entire bridge crew voiced their assent.

The turbolift doors slid open, and Gem stormed through the bridge, making a direct line to her ready room. She acknowledge nobody as she passed, disappearing into the ready room as fast as possible.

Following behind was Raven, who took her usual chair next to Twilight. “Um, am I relieved of command, ma’am?” Twilight asked.

“No, no,” Raven replied, managing a sad smile. “We still need you here, Miss Sparkle. Can you give me a report, please?”

“Approximately eleven hours until we reach Equestria, all systems are battle -ready should the need arise.” She placed a hand on Raven’s arm. “How … how are you two holding up?” she asked softly.

“Gem’s not taking it well,” Raven sighed. “She’s turned her grief into anger, and is lashing out a people for the slightest things. Why, she even snapped at Doctor Hoofer when he asked if she needed anything.”

“Those two get along so well, that’s very unlike her,” Sonata said.

“Sunny, I know you weren’t blood-related to our parents, but I wanted to make sure you were doing okay, too,” Raven said, turning to Sunset.

“It’s been tough,” Sunset said sadly, “but Dustin’s been letting me talk it out with him and it’s been a big help.”

Suddenly there's the sound of a muffled argument coming from the depths of Gem's ready room. Emerald's voice is just audible, via Gem's comm badge. "I'm giving it all she's got, Gem! I can't give her much more!"

Gem's reply is startlingly abrupt and loud. "Dammit Miss Wave, that's not good enough! If we don't hurry, more ponies will die!"

"As if I didn't already know that," Emerald shouted, her voice crackling. "Eleven hours is the best I can do, and you know it!" She takes a few deep breaths and tries to calm herself. "Go down to the holodeck and be Ruby for a while. You're not helping anyone lash out like this."

"Miss Wave, you are in no position to give me orders," Gem said coldly. "Get back to work. Shadow out." There followed the sound of breaking china as she threw her teacup against the wall with her magic.

Twilight sighed. "With respect, Commander... It's going to be a loooong ride."

* * *

In Canterlot, the Royal Sisters were sitting around a table with a Romulan diplomat. There was an empty chair where Orion might've been. Luna studied the document before her, then exclaimed "How DARE thee approach us with these glorified terms of surrender!" She shouted, throwing the paper back at the diplomat. "We are not cuddly zoo animals, and we are not thy slaves! Desist, and return to thine own with a new contract, one that is not so grievously insulting!"

"You must forgive my sister," Celestia said to the diplomat. "Ambassador Shadow was very close to her. His loss has been very tough on her."

The Romulan ambassador simply smiled, a smile that said he was just as comfortable slitting their throats in their sleep as he was negotiating a treaty … to the Romulans’ advantage, of course. “I fully understand, Princess. Such a needless waste of a good life,” he said condescendingly. “However, I do regret to tell you that these are the only terms my government will accept: complete capitulation to the Romulan Star Empire and immediate secession from the Federation. Should you reject our most generous terms, and somehow resist … I regret to say there will be even more needless death wrought upon your planet.” He rose from his chair. “We will give you ten of your days to consider our terms. Following which, should you still reject our offer, we will consider your world at war with the Romulan Star Empire, and act accordingly.” He bowed slightly, never taking his eyes off of the princesses. “Good day to you both.” He exited the room, closing the door behind him.

“Sister, what of the human allies? Are they forsaking us in our time of greatest need?” Luna asked Celestia angrily.

Celestia rested a hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “I have been in contact with them, and they are sending assistance as we speak. This act will not go unavenged.” She rose. “Come, Luna … we must prepare to honor our heroes.”

* * *

Dustin stood on the bridge, listening to Raven and Sunset. “So, that’s what we’re dealing with, Doctor. Will you help us?”

Dustin nodded. “She’s about to explode, maybe even literally. Just remember, don’t meet her attacks. Stay calm, talk softly, and let whatever she says to you roll off your back.” He nods toward the ready room. “Let’s go.”

The three walk to the door, and Raven presses the door chime. “I do not want to be disturbed!” Gem yells through the door. Raven goes to a datapad on the wall and punches in a code. The doors slide open and the three enter the room.

The room is dark, and mournful music plays softly. Gem sits behind her desk, staring out at the moving starfield. Hearing he door open, she whirls around in her chair and faces the three.

“So, you’re all ganging up on me now, huh?” Gem spat, seeing Dustin, Sunset, and Raven standing in her ready room. She rose to her feet. “Don’t any of you have anything better to do with your time, like say, your official duties?”

“The welfare of the captain is our duty,” Sunset said softly. Dustin nodded.

“And they even turned my own sister against me. Raven, I thought you loved me!”

“I do, Gem … and I can’t sit back and watch you spiral into madness!” Raven cried. “It hurts enough with Mom and Dad gone, and now you’re ripping my heart out with how you’re acting!”

Gem turned to Dustin, eyes flaring. “And what about you, Mister Smart Aleck? What’s the matter, nothing witty to say?”

Dustin said nothing as he slowly advanced on Gem. Gem backed away, eventually bumping against the wall. Dustin scooped her into a big hug, and just held her as she struggled, eventually easing her fight as sobs began to wrack her body. Sunset and Raven joined in, hugging Gem tight as she wept loud, bitter tears over the senseless loss of her parents. Sunset and Raven soon let the tears of their own, long repressed, flow freely. And through it all, Dustin hugged them, comforting them as best he could.

After a very long session of weeping, Gem looks into Raven's eyes. "The worst part about it all..." she whispers, "is that we never got to say goodbye."

Raven nodded. "We can say goodbye at the funeral, sis... You know there's going to be one." She took Gem's hand and squeezed it. "Besides... They live on within us. Literally. Dad probably knew he was going to die someday, so he consented to the cloning program, and here we are."

Dustin disengaged from the group and headed for the doors. “I’m guessing you no longer need me here, so, unless there’s something else …?” he said hesitantly.

For the first time in a while, Gem smiled and used her magic to drag Dustin back. "You're not going anywhere," she said, grinning. "Except with us to the holodeck. Em was right, I need to relax. What better way to do that than by playing music?"

"That's what I like to hear!" Raven exclaimed, leading the group out of the ready room and toward the turbo lift. "We've got a while before we get to Equestria, anyway. What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

“It came without warning,” Twilight reported as Gem, Raven, and Sunset made their way back to the bridge. Red lights flashed and klaxon alarms sounded as the crew attempted to stabilize the ship and prepare a response to the sudden attack. “It was only because Miss Blaze spotted the distortion in the starfield that we knew there was a ship there.”

“Understood. I am taking command now, Miss Sparkle. And … thank you,” Gem said. Twilight smiled and saluted, returning to her usual station.

“Report!” bellowed Raven.

“Shields holding, down to 91 percent. No other damage. I think they’re feeling out our defenses,” Adagio speculated.

“Captain! I see it again!” Aria announced. On the viewscreen, a distant distortion was seen crossing the stars, until it appeared to stop. It was now growing larger.

“Arm photon torpedoes and prepare to fire on my command!” Gem called to Adagio.

Adagio touched her console. “Ready, Captain!”

The distortion grew larger still, taking up almost a quarter of the viewing area. Gem narrowed her eyes. “This is for my parents,” she said coldly and softly. Then, in a slightly louder and unemotional voice she said to Adagio: “Fire.”

Four torpedoes streaked away from the Endeavour. The first found its mark, striking the cloaked ship at the base of the warp engine. The other three struck the ship at critical points. With a bright explosion, the ship was reduced to small fragments of metal.

“Go to Yellow Alert, maintain shields,” Raven commanded. The lights returned to their normal hue. “Welcoming party from the Romulans?” she asked Gem. Gem simply nodded.

“Continuing on course, ETA three hours. Starfleet has been sent the records of this encounter, Captain,” Aria reported.

"Good," Gem says, settling back in her chair. A short time later, the Endeavour is hailed by another Romulan ship. "On screen," Gem orders.

"And what," asks the Romulan captain at the other end of the line, "was the meaning of that? You just annihilated one of our best warbirds, insolent human!"

"Yes, and you murdered the two finest diplomats in Starfleet history!" Gem shouted. "If you thought I was going to sit down and watch you enslave my homeland like joyous victors, then I urge you to think again!"

"And why should we?" Asked the Romulan. "You have not earned a truce. Romulans never surrender."

"I don't care," Gem continued, not backing down. "My name is Gemini Aquarius Shadow, first-born daughter of Orion and Raven! And I refuse to be intimidated by the likes of you!" She pressed a button on her chair's controls, cutting them off. "They'll live to rue this day," she muttered. "Somehow or other."

* * *

Several Federation starships were on patrol in the Zacherele cluster as the Endeavour approached their home world. “Captain, transmission from the planet, audio only. It’s Princess Luna, ma’am. Switching to speakers,” Adagio announced.

Princess Luna’s voice filled the bridge. “Dear Gemini, dear friends, welcome home once again. We wish it were under better circumstances. We hope that, apart from the obvious, you are otherwise in good health and spirit?”

Gem nods, "As well as can be expected, Luna. It'll be good to see you and the others again, in spite of everything... I think we could all use some time at home."

"There are things we wish to discuss with thee," Luna says, "But they can wait until thou hast landed. Thy presence will be needed at the manor. Commander Raven, thou shalt join us as soon as possible. Speak soon, dear ones." The transmission ended.

“Captain,” Adagio says not long after, “we’re being hailed by the _D’artagnan_. Yours and Commander Raven’s relief are ready to beam over.”

Raven nods. “Give them permission, we’ll meet them in Transporter Room One. Equestrian bridge crew, alert your replacements, and assemble in the transporter room in two hours. We’ll alert Doctor Hoofer on the way.” Gem and Raven went to the turbolift.

* * *

Materializing in the throne room of the palace in Canterlot, the nine were greeted by all five princesses. “Welcome home, all of you,” Celestia said warmly. “There will be a public memorial service in two days from now, but the actual ceremony will take place tomorrow at the grounds of Shadowfall Manor. This will only be attended by family and close friends. As soon as all of you are ready, we will set off for Ponyville.”

Luna whispered something to Dustin that made his expression fall. “I will catch up with you, there’s something I need to do here first. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I’m there on time,” he says. He is escorted by Luna down the grand hall into the castle.

Princesses Twilight and Emerald embrace each of the remaining eight in turn. "If it makes you feel any better," Twilight says to Gem, "He kept all your mission reports. We met whenever a new one came in, and he'd read them out to us as if telling a story. He was very, very proud of you, as are we all."

Gem smiles a little. "That does help, yes... for now, I..." She paused, gulped, and continued. "I want to go home. Just to see the place again. Maybe take a nap in my old bed."

Twilight and Emerald exchanged worried glances. “Well … if that’s what you want, I guess it’ll be okay … if you change your mind, we have extra space prepared at the castle for you,” Princess Twilight said.

“There’s a train waiting to take us there,” Emerald added. I suppose there’s no point in delaying any further...”

“My sister and I will be there tomorrow to conduct the service,” Celestia said. “We will see you then.”

* * *

The large portion of the building that had collapsed, along with the smoke and fire damage, revealed to Gem and Raven that home wasn’t quite the same as it was when they left. Accompanied by Princesses Twilight and Emerald, the eight made their way slowly into the ruins of the mansion.

“The main entryway took the brunt of the damage,” Twilight explained, “the fire suppression systems your father had installed did the rest. We’re looking to place a similar system in all of our public buildings.”

Stepping carefully over large stones, The group reached the main stairway. It stood defiantly and proudly, the walkway across the grand entryway also remaining intact. Sunset turned to the rest of the group. “I think Gem, Raven, and I are going to want some time to ourselves for now. Was Father’s library damaged at all?”

Emerald shook her head. “No, it’s intact.”

Sunset nodded. “Good, wait there and we’ll be along soon.” She wrapped her arms around Gem and Raven’s waists and, together, the three walked up the stairs.

The library was big and, as Twilight predicted, perfectly preserved. Each book was shelved according to the decimal system, and free of dust. "It looks as if he only just left," Gem whispered, in an awed voice.

"Check this out," Raven said, moving to a separate shelf on the far end of the room. It was labeled "Gem's Space Adventures" and contained each and every one of her mission reports, organized by stardate. Raven went to the end of the shelf and picked out a letter. "It's for you," she said, handing it to Gem.

Gem took it and began to read. _"My dearest girls... if you're reading this, then chances are something terrible has happened to me, and I have shuffled off this mortal coil at last. If that's the case, then please allow me to give you all a few last pieces of advice."_

_"First and foremost, stay focused on your mission. Commanding a starship takes a lot of energy, and you'll all need to be in peak condition to do so effectively. Cry and mourn if you need to, but don't dawdle."_

_"Second of all, don't be so glum! Yes, I may be gone, but remember: I will always live on in your hearts, and in your minds. Besides, Luna knows a spell that will let us talk. Ask her about it when you get the chance, and tell her I said so."_

_"Third of all... well, I'll address each of you in turn. Gem, this first part is for you: On the day the Endeavour went off on its maiden voyage, your mother and I went home that same evening and toasted to your success. The reports you've sent me have proven to me beyond a doubt that you are a fine captain, and I would say, a better one than I was. Your crew is a splendid one, and you've led them well. Please, keep up the great work."_

_"Next, to Raven: A good captain is nothing without her first officer, and you have risen to the occasion with aplomb. I know this because your mother was personally responsible for steering us out of some very tight spots during our time in space, and were it not for her guiding hoof, we might've gotten lost in the Delta quadrant or something. You have proven yourself a worthy inheritor of her legacy, and we couldn't be happier. (Also, your mother says that her recipe book should still be in the kitchen. She wants you to have it, she doesn't think much of replicator food. Too fattening, she says.)"_

_"Last of all, but not at all least, to Sunset: I remember the day I met you at the adoption office. You were a scared little filly, shaking like a leaf and frightened that I'd be as bad as that Appleoosan foster family you stayed with, and kept calling me Mr. Shadow even when I said you didn't need to. But you grew out of that after a while, and matured into a wonderful young woman indeed. A great crew needs its heart, and you are it."_

_"I'm running out of space, so I'll make this short: I am immensely proud of all three of you, more than I can say. My journey is ending, yours has only just begun. We're all stories in the end... and they'll be telling yours for generations to come. Good luck, all of you. I love you all very, very much. Always, Father."_

The three girls hugged each other as fresh tears started to flow. After a moment, each one had rescued a favorite book, and they were now heading toward their old bedrooms.

“I wonder if the princesses have any plans to fix this place up? I’d hate to see it torn down if t doesn’t have to be,” Raven asked.

“For all Dad did, I don’t think we’d even have to ask that. They’d probably turn it into a museum or something, just to honor his memory,” Gem replied.

“As long as we could still come here when we get shore leave,” Sunset mused. “If they’ll do that, I don’t mind sharing with the rest of Equestria.”

The three paused near their bedrooms, all seeming surprisingly intact.

Gem thinks for a moment. "Suddenly I feel 7 years old again..."

"Me too," Raven says with a nod. Sunset nods in agreement.

"See you in the morning then," Gem says, smiling a little. "I'm exhausted... maybe this is what we need." The three nod and disappear into their rooms, falling asleep shortly thereafter.

* * *

Orbiting high above the planet, the Endeavour continued along, her bridge staffed by the secondary crewmembers. Captain Alan Brown, an older man with perpetually tousled light-brown hair, stared at the screen intently. Next to him was his first officer, Commander Jenna Kroger, a younger woman with dark hair and an air of no-nonsense.

“Report from the fleet, Captain,” the tactical officer, a young lieutenant, announced. She handed the captain a PADD.

“Very well,” he said taking it and looking at the contents briefly. “Commander, accompany me to the ready room,” he said to Kroger. “Maintain standard orbit and continue sensor scans, we know the Romulans are out there and are up to something,” he says to the helmspersons. He and Kroger adjourn to the ready room.

Out of earshot of the crew, the captain and first officer looked at the pictures in Gem’s ready room and rolled their eyes. “I still can’t believe they let those horse-people have command function aboard a Federation starship,” Kroger said.

"Neither can I," Brown agreed. "Once we're done here, I'll talk to Vice Admiral Nechayev and see if she can help us put the rest of our plan into action."

"What do you plan to talk with the Vice Admiral about?" asks Kroger.

Brown smiles darkly. "No Federation starship should be under the command of animals. She and I are going to do our damndest to ensure that each and every horse person on this ship has their careers ended. By any means necessary. Murdering Mr. Shadow was just the start."

* * *

It was not long after sunrise that nine Starfleet officers and five princesses gathered in the rear courtyard of Shadowfall Manor. Set back under a grove of trees, a stone monument stood near a fountain, water bubbling softly. The names of Orion’s family, all long deceased, were carved into the monument above two small niches. In these niches sat two golden urns – the remains of Orion and Raven Shadow.

The group bowed their heads as Princess Luna invoked a special prayer for their eternal spirits. As she finished, the niches were sealed by Princess Celestia, who offered a small prayer of her own.

At the conclusion of the service, the group mingled with each other, offering support and condolences to Gem, Raven, and Sunset. Dustin had, in fact, made it from Canterlot, although he seemed a bit distracted.

Gem leads Dustin to a shady spot beneath a tree, where there is a large treehouse built when Gem and Raven had been little girls. "Dustin, I ask you this question not as your commanding officer or patient, but as your friend... what happened?" she asks, her voice soft and her face worried.

Dustin knew he wasn’t going to be able to get away, and sighed. “It’s my dad,” he said quietly. “Aunt Luna told me he took your father’s death really hard. Coupled with the fact that he hadn’t really gotten over Mom’s death, he’s … he’s really taken a downward turn.” He paused. “When I went to see him, he didn’t even seem to know I was there. He grunted a couple of times when I asked him questions, but … I even did a physical on him. He hates physicals. But, he never said a word of complaint.” Dustin looked up at the canopy of trees. “I could tell when I hugged him. He’s not too long for this world. It’s like he’s just given up and is waiting for the end to come.” He managed a half-smile. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but you have enough to worry about with all of this, you don’t need to have my problems heaped on top of this.”

Gem places a finger on his lips and shakes her head. "I'm your friend, and his daughter... I would not be worthy of either title if I let my father's best friend end his days alone. We'll go to Canterlot tomorrow and see him. I hope it perks him up." She hugs Dustin tight, then lets him go.

Luna walks over to the two. “Dear Gemini, there you are. Once again, I offer my condolences, your father was a dear friend to me.” She looks at Dustin with a quizzical look. Dustin shakes his head sadly, which distresses Luna. She recovers quickly and addresses Gem. “I heard you were coming back to Canterlot tomorrow. Please see me, and I will teach you that spell. My sister and I are preparing to depart, we will see you then.” She hugs both Gem and Dustin and walks back to the main group.

“Come, we’d better get back to the others,” Dustin says, offering to escort Gem.

Gem accepts the escort and hugs Luna back, heading back to the rest of the group.

* * *

“This isn’t an instrument of peace, it’s an article of surrender!” Twilight said angrily, flinging the document down on the table. She sat in the large conference room where the negotiations would take place, Luna by her side. “This is almost as bad as what the Klingons were doing to the Organians!”

“I know not of these Organians,” Luna said, “but we agree these terms are most disagreeable!”

Twilight sighed. “So, here we are, Romulans threatening to invade at any moment, and the Federation says they can’t do anything until the Romulans act first. Apparently, the prior invasion wasn’t ‘severe’ enough since no more than Gem’s parents were killed. The Romulans are calling it an ‘officer gone rogue’.” She dropped her head on the table in frustration. “If only I knew what they really wanted….”

"They want nothing more than complete and total subjugation," said Celestia, entering the room. "We have magic, something no other power in the galaxy has access to except for us and the Federation. And if we don't give them what they want, that ambassador promised they would consider it an act of war, and act accordingly. We need a solution that keeps them from attacking us without betraying the Federation." She frowns. "It is a tough situation indeed."

"Fie," said Luna, "If only we could march out onto the battlefields and beat them soundly, as in the old times!"

"Sadly, Luna, the days of warrior princesses are long past," Celestia admonished. "Diplomacy is the order of the day, but even that is proving to be difficult. Perhaps we could contact one of Orion's Federation friends?"

“Maybe Gem’s command mentor could help,” Twilight suggested. “Let’s ask her if she can contact him and see what he has to say.”

* * *

“First of all, Gemini, I offer my condolences on the loss of your parents. Losing loved ones to a senseless tragedy while out in deep space is never easy. I lost my brother and nephew in that manner, so I do understand your pain.”

Gem smiled sadly. “Thank you, Captain Picard.”

“Now, on to the Romulan matter...” Picard said thoughtfully. “Clearly the Romulans are aware of the tremendous power your rulers wield, instead going to a high-placed surrogate to convince your world to turn on the Federation. So, it seems that they respect your powers even if they don’t fully understand them.”

"But what would going to war with us accomplish?" Gem asks. "We're hardly going to share our power with them now, do they really believe we'll be more likely to do so after they've killed half of our planet?"

“They’re not asking to share,” Picard said darkly. “If you won’t give it willingly, they have nasty methods to take what they want. Very few survive these methods, and those that do are mental vegetables for whatever remains of their lives. They do, however, respect it when you resist, even if such an effort is futile. With that in mind, maybe a demonstration of just what it is they’re after might be in order...”

"A raw display of magic then," Gem said, thinking back to the day she and the girls had first discovered their powers. "That may work!"

Picard smiled. “The fleet will remain nearby should you need their assistance. Good luck, Gemini, to you and everyone. Picard out.” The viewscreen went dark.

* * *

The Romulan ambassador returned to Canterlot a few days later, confident that the ponies would be too afraid of his people's superiority to challenge him. In the palace conference room were gathered the five Princesses, Commander Twilight, and Gem herself. "Good morning," he begins. "I have spoken with my government and we have produced a new contract for you to sign." He takes it out and presents it to them, "If you all would sign, please, we can begin your immediate entrance into the Romulan Star Empire. The Senate has allowed the vessel known as the USS Endeavour to be retained, though it will be stripped of Federation markings and assigned a new registry number."

Twilight accepted the datapad from the ambassador, looked it over, and gave a single nod. She showed the datapad to Gemini, and then to the princesses, all of whom gave single nods to each other. Still smiling, Twilight handed the datapad back to the ambassador. “No,” was all she said, her smile never faltering.

“You see, my dear ambassador,” Gem continued, “you seem to think that we are lacking quite a bit in intelligence. ‘Fresh off the farm,’ as the Terrans say. I can assure you, good sir, we are quite intelligent, enough to know when we are merely being exploited for something we have that you desire.”

“If you think that you can come strutting in here, waving your alleged technological superiority around like a whip to keep us simple ponies in line, you are sadly mistaken,” Emerald added. “You see, we know your only purpose for being here is to ascertain the secrets to our magic.”

“Such a power is not for the likes of you,” Princess Twilight said matter-of-factly. “Magic is what defines us as a species, it is central to our daily lives. And we will not stand idly by while some two-bit dictatorship tries to wrest that power from us. Oh no, we will fight to defend what is ours, and protect our way of life.”

“But, since you seem so keen on knowing more about our power, let us give you a demonstration,” Luna said with an evil grin. Instantly, the horns on all five princesses lit up, linking them all with a bright aura of magic. Commander Twilight and Gem extended their hands, and they too were linked in the magical aura.

Princess Celestia’s eyes glowed pure white, as did everypony’s and everyone’s. “Now, witness the true power of the magic of friendship!” she cried out. With one bright blast, the ambassador disappeared from the room, as did the Romulan guards assigned to escort him.

* * *

Aboard the Endeavour, Captain Brown stared at the screen in disbelief. “What do you mean, they’re gone?!” he demanded.

“Sensors detect no Romulan presence in this area,” the lieutenant at the science station reported. “No activity on motion detection modules, either.”

"Dammit!" shouted Brown, slamming his fist on Gem's command chair. "That contact of mine is going to be in serious trouble when I get back to the D'Artagan."

"Assuming Captain Horsegirl doesn't catch on to us," commented Jenna.

"That would be terrible, wouldn't it?" said Gem, as she strode through the turbolift doors, flanked by Raven and Twilight. "Yes, it really would be... and it would be even worse if she didn't have her ready room specifically set up to automatically record any and all speech that goes on in there. Usually I use it for log entries, but this week, something fascinating came up... something that could end both of your careers. And unless you'd like for me to deliver this recording to the proper authorities, I suggest that you, Captain Brown, take you and your relief crew and head back to your own ship as fast as humanly possible. Please." She smiles, but her tone makes it very clear that this is not a request.

Both Brown and Kroger rose from their chairs, and without a further word, made their way to the turbolift. “Think that’s the last we’ll see of them?” Raven asked Gem.

"Not a chance," Gem said, as the other Earthers took off after their commanding officers. "In fact, they're so intent on ending our careers, I think we'll be seeing them quite a lot from here on. Not that we'll let them, of course." She pats her chair fondly. "Now, I believe we have a memorial service to get to, and a quick trip to Canterlot afterward. Shall we go?"

“Yes, let’s do.” The two walk to the turbolift.

* * *

As state-run memorial services go, this one seemed to flow smoother than most. Pony after pony rose to the podium to share their reminiscences, some funny, others touching. All were touched at some point by Orion’s and Raven’s generosity and kindness, and made sure to say as much in this final tribute to the fallen ponies.

When the ceremony finished, Gem and Dustin walked down a seldom-used corridor of the castle. “You don’t have to do this you know … but thank you for volunteering. I don’t know if it will even get a reaction out of him.”

Gem chuckled. "I believe it will... And you are very welcome, Dustin," she says, pecking his cheek briefly. She stepped up to the door of the room where Longhaul was, and a guard opened it for her. She walked inside, her shoes clicking on the stone floor. "Hello Uncle Longhaul," she says softly, smiling.

“Hi, Dad,” Dustin said, “Gem’s here to visit. You remember Orion’s daughter?”

Sitting by the window, Longhaul looked very weary. His mane and tail had more gray hairs in them, and he seemed thinner. He slowly turned to see Gem and Dustin standing there, and motioned for Gem to come closer. She did so, and Longhaul wrapped her in a tight hug. His breathing started to hitch, and he softly wept as he held Gem.

Gem runs her fingers through Longhaul's mane and coat, holding him tight as he wept. "Luna has a spell that will let him speak with us," she says gently. "We'll be trying it tonight... Would you like to come along?"

Unable to speak, Longhaul nodded. He started to compose himself. “It—it’s just such a waste. He used to visit me when he was in town … we’d catch up on what was going on, he’d tell me of old friends … and now….” He took a deep, shivering breath. “Son .. it’s good to see you again, too. I’m sorry...”

Dustin hugged Longhaul. “It’s okay, Dad … I understand. Let’s get you cleaned up for tonight, maybe we can all have dinner together.”

Longhaul nodded. “I’d like that.”

Gem nodded. "We'll make it worth your while, I promise."

* * *

They met in the backyard of the manor shortly after moonrise. Luna was there, as was Longhaul, Dustin, and the Shadow sisters.

Luna surveyed the group and asked, "Are we ready? "This spell may only be cast once per year, if we read this correctly. Since we are the one that guides the departed, we are the only one that can perform the spell. We are ready if thou art."

Gem nods. "We're ready."

Luna nods. "Join hooves and hands, and remain still." She closes her eyes as she feels Longhaul's hoof in hers, and her horn glows a brilliant violet. "Orci aeterni planum communicare qui derelicti sunt quaerunt. Exaudi nos vocare egressus tuum nos uti iterum," she intones as the wind whips up into a frenzy around them. Leaves rustle angrily, and nightfowl take to the air, their hoots and calls echoing through the night. Opeing her eyes, Luna says, "We gather to speak to the spirit of Orion Shadow. Come forth, dear Orion, and greet thy daughters and friends."

And Orion appeared, young and handsome as he had been in life. "Hello everypony! How are we all this lovely evening?"

Raven fought hard to hold back her tears. “Hi, Daddy,” she managed to say. “You look great!”

Longhaul smiled. “Hey, old partner. Good to see you again.”

Sunset smiled. “Hi, Dad. We miss you terribly.”

Dustin waved. “Mister Shadow, good to see you again, sir.”

Gem felt her own tears leaking. “Hello again, Daddy.”

Orion sighed, but kept smiling. "Dustin, I keep saying you don't need to call me that." He smiled though, waving at his friends and daughters. "I miss you all too ... But I died defending my country from those who would seek its ruin, and who could ask for a better end than that? I couldn't." He floated over to Gem and patted her, ignoring the fact that his hoof went through her. "It's good you're here, I was hoping you'd keep sending in mission reports. I want them compiled into a book, but I imagine there's some Starfleet red tape involved, there usually is… I'll even write the foreword! Being dead just gives me more time to focus on my hobbies."

Gem giggled. "I knew you'd see it that way. Not even death itself can keep you from being busy. Of course I'll send them. Is there anything else I should know?"

"The house and everything inside goes to you and your sisters," Orion says. "I imagine you'll want some renovations done."

The sisters looked at the house. A loud crash was heard as a piece of … something fell to the ground. “It is a bit of a fixer-upper, yes...” Raven deadpanned.

“Orion,” Longhaul said, “if you should happen to see my wife there … wherever ‘there’ is, could you tell her that still love her and miss her every day?”

“And if you could tell her for me,” Dustin added, “that I’m sorry I couldn’t make it back in time? You know, if it isn’t too much trouble...”

"Certainly," Orion says with a smile. "I'd be happy to." The wind starts to blow again. "I guess that's all the time I have for now... Stay safe out there, you four! Come visit when you can!"

"Bye Dad," say the sisters together, waving.

"And Longhaul," Orion says quickly, "Let yourself live a little longer. You deserve it." He waves. "See you soon!" And he disappears as quickly as he had come.

* * *

After a good dinner at Sugarcube Corner, the nine Equestrian humans bid farewell to their family and friends, and re-board the Endeavour to continue their adventures.

"Miss Blaze, set a course for... Well, somewhere fun and interesting. I think we could use a break, don't you?" Gem says, settling into her chair.

Aria smiled. “There is a planet that is known for its recreational facilities. I’ve set course toward it. Just awaiting your command.”

Gem smiled. “You have it. Warp Three, engage!” she commanded.

With a flash of its engines, the Endeavour left the star system of home, enroute to more adventures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L: Our prelude to conflict with the Romulans, which unfortunately led to the untimely demise of Orion Shadow. We also introduce Alan Brown and Jenna Kroger, loosely patterned after Evil Alton Brown and ‘W’ from the show Good Eats. They’ll be back later, we promise.


	9. Window of Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this episode, the crews of Voyager and Endeavour must work together in order to get the Voyager back to its own time, though not the Alpha Quadrant.

_“Captain’s log, stardate 50793.5: We continue to search for a way back to the Alpha Quadrant. Our sensors have detected a spatial disruption, and we are currently investigating.”_

The crew of the USS Voyager studied the viewscreen closely. The captain, a striking woman in appearance and wise beyond her years, sat in the center of the bridge. Flanking her on her right was a tall man, descended from one of the First Nation tribes of the Central America region of Earth. 

Chakotay, the first officer, studied a readout on the armrest of his seat. “It give the appearance of a wormhole, but the basic signature is all wrong,” he said. 

Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, the Vulcan officer manning the science station, studied the readouts form the sensors. “Sensors do not detect any form of energy consistent with a wormhole, however I am detecting fluctuations in space-time,” he reported. 

Kathryn Janeway, the captain nodded solemnly. “Mister Paris, are we able to keep our distance from this ... whatever it is?” she asked. 

“It’s not pulling us toward it,” Lieutenant Paris replied, “we’re able to maintain our distance with no drift.” 

“Captain,” Ensign Harry Kim called out from the Ops station, “it does seem similar to that micro-wormhole we discovered once before. This one might be big enough to take a starship through.” 

Rising from her chair, Janeway walked closer to the viewscreen. “The question is, where will we end up ... and in what time?” 

“Sensors are reading a ship on the other end of the disruption. By configuration, a Miranda-class vessel,” Tuvok announced. 

Janeway studied the screen, deep in thought. “This could be our most promising chance to get home yet.” 

* * *

“Definitely a Federation vessel, Commander,” Lieutenant Commander Twilight Sparkle said from her station. “Appears to be Intrepid-class, accessing registry number now.” 

“Captain Shadow, to the bridge please,” Commander Raven Shadow called over the intercom. “Miss Dazzle, you said there was nothing detected on the other side of this disturbance.” 

“It just entered sensor range, Commander, traveling fast,” Lieutenant Adagio Dazzle replied. “The vessel slowed upon encountering the disturbance. I then detected their sensor scans.” 

“Commander,” Twilight interjected, “the ship’s registry is NCC-74656. USS ... Voyager, ma’am.” 

* * *

“Open hailing frequencies,” Janeway ordered. The computer beeped in reply. 

“Open,” Chakotay replied. 

“This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager to the Federation vessel opposite us. If you can hear this transmission, please identify yourself.” Janeway stood on the deck of the bridge, awaiting the reply. 

On Voyager's viewscreen came an image of a grey-skinned young woman in her mid-20s with bright green eyes, wearing a command uniform from 2366. The officers around her wore 2390s uniforms. The grey woman smiled. "Voyager, this is Captain Gemini Shadow of the USS Endeavour. It's a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to come aboard?" 

“That’s a most ... tempting offer, Captain Shadow,” Janeway answered, “let us first see if we are able to pass through the disturbance safely. Stand by.” She turned to Chakotay and motioned to mute the microphones. Once he acknowledged that this was done, she asked, “I don’t know of any Miranda-class vessels under that name. Could this be a Kazon trick?” 

“Highly unlikely,” Tuvok said in reply. “The Kazon have no presence in this area of the Delta Quadrant.” 

“And it’s doubtful, maybe even impossible, that we could just beam through. Which means we’d have to risk taking Voyager through the disturbance,” Chakotay pondered. “What would that do to the ship, assuming we’d be able to fit through in the first place?” 

“I do not recognize the uniforms worn by the crew of the other vessel, despite the marking that indicate they could be a variant of Starfleet issue. The captain’s uniform is the only one that meets current design specifications,” Tuvok added. 

“The disturbance is big enough to pass through, Captain,” Kim said, studying the readouts from his station. “Looks like there’s half again as much space as we need for the ship to enter, and it appears to not fluctuate from that diameter for the entire length.” 

“No fluctuations in energy readings, but there are some ripples I cannot identify. They do not appear harmful at this time,” Paris reported. 

Janeway sat down in her chair, and signaled for the microphones to be reactivated. “Captain Shadow, we accept your very kind offer. We are setting a course to you, and should rendezvous with you in a few minutes. We will speak more then. Voyager out.” The viewscreen returned to the disturbance with a starship visible on the other side. “Mister Paris, lay in a course to that other vessel, three-quarter impulse. Mister Tuvok, Mister Kim, you’re with me on the away team.” As the team approached the turbolift, Janeway turned to Chakotay. “Should something happen to us, or if attacked, do not hesitate to defend this ship and get her out of harm’s way, is that understood?” 

Chakotay nodded. “Be careful, Kathryn,” he said softly. Janeway smiled, and the three made their way to the transporter. 

Meanwhile, Gem smiles and claps her hands as the screen goes dark. "I do so love meeting former captains of note," she says cheerfully to Raven. "Now, to business... Sister, I'd like you to join me in Transporter Room 1 to greet our guests. Commander Sparkle, keep an eye on things in the meantime, please. I don't imagine we'll be attacked, but you never know..." She heads toward the main turbolift doors with Raven following along behind. 

* * *

The three officers from the Voyager materialized in the main transporter room. Stepping from the platform, Janeway approached Gem, smiling. “A pleasure to meet you, Captain Shadow,” she said warmly. “May I present my second officer, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, and Ensign Harry Kim, operations manager.” Tuvok and Kim nodded greeting, with Harry the only other one wearing a smile. 

"The pleasure is mine," Gem says, smiling to all three of the new arrivals. "This is my first officer, Commander Raven Shadow." The group heads back toward the main bridge, with Gem and Janeway in the lead. "In case you're wondering, it's the year 2403... it appears you've drifted forwards in time about 30 years," Gem explains as they go. "If I'm remembering historical records correctly, that would mean you're still trapped in the Delta quadrant... yes, that sounds right. Any questions?" 

The three come to a dead stop, and look quizzically at each other. “That would explain the uniforms, Captain,” Kim said softly. 

Janeway took a moment to compose herself. “Why yes, Captain ... I believe I now have a lot of questions. I sincerely hope you can provide some honest answers.” 

Gem laughs. "I'll certainly do my best."

* * *

After a quick introduction to the rest of the bridge crew, Gem and Janeway take seats in Gem's ready room, clutching their respective hot beverages. "What would you like to know first?" Gem asks, sipping her tea. 

Drinking her black coffee, Janeway leveled a no-nonense gaze at Gem. “First of all, some basic information, such as what region of space this is,” she said calmly. “Second, I’m curious as to how you managed the ... modifications of this ship,” she added, looking around the vastly spacious ready room, seemingly boundless compared to her room on Voyager. 

"We're in the far edges of the Alpha quadrant," Gem explains. "And as for the modifications..." She smiles like a magician about to play a trick. "Equestrian magic. The crew and I, that is to say my bridge officers and our ship's doctor, come from a world called Equus, and a country called Equestria, home to multicolored ponies about yay high," she holds out her hand at roughly the height of an Equestrian pony, "some of whom can do magic. My father, Orion, piloted this vessel before me, so it is his magic at work here, I've just been maintaining it." Her hands glow slightly and she blows on them, sending blue sparkles flying around the room that eventually disperse, "Like that!" She taps her teacup, making it float in mid-air in front of her, surrounded by a blue magic aura. 

“Amazing,” Janeway says, clearly impressed. “An entire race of sentient equines, capable of performing magic.” She sips her coffee. “You claim one as your father, and yet you appear humanoid in appearance. How is such a thing possible? And how long has your world been a part of the Federation?” 

"Cloning," Gem says simply. "After his five-year mission in space, Starfleet Medical and Equestria's rulers, Princesses Celestia and Luna, worked together to create a species that would have all the benefits of pony biology in a form better suited to life among the stars, resulting in us." She picks up a PADD and swipes through several pictures of her life in Equestria, "I am my father's clone, Commander Raven is a clone of our mother, and Commander Twilight and Commander Wave are clones of Princesses Twilight Sparkle and Emerald Wave respectively. Dr. Hoofer is a clone of my father's best friend, Longhaul, while Adagio, Aria, and Sonata are cloned from members of an ancient race known as the sirens. The only one of us who isn't a clone is our counselor, Sunset Shimmer. She was magically transformed into a human per her request. Equestria hasn't been a part of the Federation for very long, only..." She thinks, "26 years." 

“So many advances ... “ Janeway mused. “You referenced ‘historical records,’ so obviously you know of our mission and what happened to us. As it stands, we are trying to find a way back to the Alpha Quadrant, looking for any possible advantage to cut the estimated travel time. Our journey hasn’t been an easy one.” She gets up and studies Gem carefully. “It would seem to me, Captain Shadow, that our chance encounter has given us a small glimmer of hope that, perhaps, we could reach home sooner than we expect.” 

Gem nods, "And indeed, you do. I think." She taps her combadge. "Captain to Commander Sparkle: What do the historical records say about the Voyager's return to Earth?" 

“Historical records do not show anything about the Voyager returning from the Delta Quadrant, Captain,” Twilight replied over the intercom. “The ship is still listed as missing in all Federation databases.” 

“So it appears,” Janeway hypothesized, “that if we do make it home, we haven’t done so yet. It’s possible that this entry into your time may have delayed our arrival a bit.” 

"Curiouser and curiouser," Gem says, draining her tea. "Well, we can't have that... we'll have to get you back somehow." Her thoughts are interrupted by Adagio's voice issuing from her badge. "Bridge to Captain, several unidentified vessels of unknown origin appear to have followed the Voyager through the rift. We are attempting to hail them." 

"On my way," Gem says, getting up and leading Janeway back to the bridge. She sits down in her usual spot, leaving Janeway to take the empty seat usually filled by Sunset. 

“They do not appear to be much of a threat, Captain,” Adagio said from her tactical station. “About the size of a shuttlecraft, armed with phasers and photon torpedoes.” 

Janeway studied the screen along with Tuvok and Kim. “Kazon fighters,” she said softly. “But we hadn’t encountered them this far in the Delta Quadrant.” 

“Nevertheless, Captain,” Tuvok said plainly, “they have arrived.” 

"Miss Dazzle, you recall the parasprite story as much as I do. Never judge things by their appearance. As Aunt Twilight learned that day, bad things can come in small packages," Gem reminds gently. "Now, let's see... open a hailing frequency." Aria does so, and Gem rises. "This is Captain Gemini Shadow of the USS Endeavour. You appear to be a group of Kazon fighters. If you can hear me, please state your intentions." 

A burst of phaser fire erupted form the Kazon ship, striking the Endeavor’s shields. 

“Okay, duly noted,” Raven said under her breath. “Miss Dazzle, target each ship’s weapons systems and fire!” 

Adagio tapped on her console, and three phaser blasts streaked away from the Endeavor, striking each Kazon ship. 

“Ships are moving away, back toward the disturbance,” Adagio said, checking the scanners. 

“It’s been my experience that if there’s Kazon fighters in the vicinity, the carriers cannot be too far behind.” Janeway tapped her comm badge. “Janeway to Voyager, are you detecting any Kazon activity beyond the disturbance?” 

“All we see are the fighters heading back through, Captain,” Chakotay replied. “You think there’s a raiding party nearby?” 

“Seems highly likely. Maintain surveillance and alert us if any Kazon carriers arrive. Janeway out.” She turned to Gem. “I apologize for drawing you into this conflict, Captain, we had no idea the Kazon had moved this far.” 

“Hoofer to bridge,” the doctor’s voice called over the intercom. “Captain, is it possible for us to meet new and exciting people without getting the ship in a firefight? Luckily, only minor injuries are being reported.” 

"No, Doctor, I don't think it is," Gem replies dryly. "Still, thank goodness for small mercies. Shadow out." She turns back to Janeway. "It's no trouble, we've seen and fought worse... 23rd century Klingons spring to mind. Oh, and we can't forget the time our evil alternate selves ran around causing all manner of mayhem." She turns to Twilight's station. "Miss Sparkle, would sending Voyager back through the disturbance reset history's proper course?" 

“It would seem the most logical course of action, Captain,” Twilight answered. “Since chronological time seems to be passing at the same rate between our time periods, there should be no interruption of elapsed time on their chronometers.” 

“Interesting,” Tuvok said. “This would explain the stability of the disturbance – remaining in perfect synchronicity between the two time periods.” 

“Yes,” Janeway says, pacing a bit, “but the next question we need to answer is how do we prevent the Kazon from making further incursions into this region of space?” 

"Good question," Gem agrees, looking thoughtful. "I would hope that our little firefight would warn them away for good, but in case it doesn't..." She looks to Janeway and her two crewmates. "I assume you three have had more experience. How did you stop them the last time you met?" 

“What happened before isn’t relevant right now. All I can say is that the Kazon have moved far beyond their borders, and this troubles me. We will have to stop them here. Leave them to us, and perhaps our crews can work together to close off this disturbance.” Janeway walks over to Gem and places a hand on her shoulder. “Captain Shadow, I truly believe you have the makings of a truly great Starfleet captain. Let me offer you one piece of advice. There are three things to remember about being a starship captain: keep your shirt tucked in, go down with the ship, and never abandon a member of your crew.” She strides toward the turbolift. “Tuvok, Harry ... let’s return to Voyager. We have work to do.” 

"Thank you, Captain Janeway," Gem says, smiling gently. "I'll keep your advice in mind." Once Janeway departs, Gem settles back in her chair and smiles. "How lovely... the first female captain of a Starfleet vessel likes me..." 

Raven smirks. "Do you have a crush on her, Gem?" 

"No!" Gem says quickly, blushing despite herself. "I'm pretty sure she meant it professionally. Besides, she's much older than I am by now." 

* * *

_“Captain’s log, supplemental. A small Kazon Nistrim force was detected in our current region of the Delta Quadrant. We were able to disable the carrier’s weapons systems and the group turned back toward their home system. Since the Kazon have been spotted in this area, we have decided that it is in the best interests of those on both sides of the disturbance to have it sealed off permanently. Working with a crew on the opposite side of the disturbance, we believe it is time to proceed.”_

“Captain Shadow,” Janeway said, “we are ready to begin. We will fire a tachyon pulse into the disturbance, and you will do likewise one second later. This should be enough to stop the synchronous nature of the disturbance and seal it off. Are you ready?” 

"Ready," Gem says. "On my mark, Miss Dazzle." 

"Fire," Janeway orders, and the first pulse is fired at the disturbance. 

"Fire," Gem orders a second later, and the second pulse is fired. The disturbance begins to close off. Gem taps her badge. "It was a pleasure to work alongside you, Captain Janeway. Good luck in getting home." 

“Safe travels, Cap---” The communication cuts of as the disturbance is sealed. 

Adagio powers down the emitter. “I am no longer reading any sign of the disturbance. We did it.” 

"So we did," Gem says, leaning back in her chair. "Well done, everyone." She smiles. "Miss Blaze, set a course for Starbase 42." 

"Course laid in, Captain," Aria says after a few moments. 

"Warp eight point six. Engage!" Gem orders, and the Endeavour rockets off to its next adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L: New Endeavours meets Voyager. Janeway and Gemini have quite a bit in common, dont’cha think?
> 
> C: When you think about it, they kind of do… it’s not often you see a female captain in this franchise, and then there’s their closeness with their respective crews… I’d say both of them think of them as family, not just colleagues.


	10. Four Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gemini, Adagio, and Dustin are removed from their places aboard the Endeavour by Admiral Nechayev, ostensibly because of a possible Cardassian incursion. However, the 3 officers are later sold to the Cardassians outright for experimentation. Meanwhile, First Officer Raven leads a mutiny against the new Endeavour captain, Abacus Cinch, when she refuses to rescue the captured officers.

_"Captain's log, stardate 81013.2. We have rendezvoused with the starship Cairo near the Cardassian border for an urgent meeting with Vice Admiral Nechayev. To be frank however, I do not look forward to this meeting. I am beginning to suspect some members of Starfleet are engaged in foul play, though I cannot be sure.”_

Gem is sitting in her ready room when someone knocks on the door. "Come in!" she calls out. Raven enters with a small blonde woman. "May I present Captain Gemini Shadow."  
Gem gets to her feet and smiles, offering the Admiral her hand. "Admiral, welcome aboard." Nechayev ignores the hand. "Thank you. That'll be all, Commander." Raven leaves. 

"Can I get you some coffee? Tea?" Gem asks, moving over to a small tea set sitting beside her record player. 

Nechayev shakes her head. "Thank you, no, Captain. I'm afraid there's no time for the usual pleasantries. I'm here to relieve you of command of the Endeavor." 

Gem's jaw drops. "...What." 

Nechayev sighs. "Let me explain: The Cardassian forces which were recently withdrawn from the Bajoran sector, have been redeployed along the Federation border. They have mobilised three divisions of ground troops and their subspace communications have been increased by fifty percent. We believe that they're preparing for an incursion into Federation space." 

"Are the Cardassians ready for a war?" Gem asks. 

Nechayev shrugs. "I didn't say war, Captain, I said incursion. Our intelligence reports suggests that they'll try to seize one of the disputed systems along the border. We think they're gambling that the Federation won't actually go to war over one system." 

"Will we?" Gem asks. 

Nechayev shrugs again. "I hope we won't need to make that decision. We have decided to send the Endeavour to meet with the Cardassian representative and open talks." 

Gem nods. "I understand that, at least. But what I don't understand, Admiral, is why the Federation believes it's necessary to relieve me of command of my own ship for a negotiation! You surely must have read my mission reports on the Organians and the Halkans, my record speaks for itself! I am perfectly capable of handling this!" 

Nechayev frowns deeply. "I disagree. The Endeavor will be in a dangerous situation and I want someone on the Bridge who has a great deal of experience with the Cardassians. No offense, Captain, but that's not you." 

"Then who is?" Gem asks, unable to keep the anger from her voice, though she does try. 

Nechayev explains, "Abacus Cinch is the commanding officer of the Cairo. I'm giving her command of the Endeavour this afternoon. Captain Cinch helped to negotiate the original armistice two years ago and I believe she's the most qualified person to lead this mission. The change of command will take place at thirteen hundred hours. After which, you, your Chief Medical Officer, and Security Chief will be reassigned. Thank you." And she leaves. 

* * *

“But they can’t fire you!” Raven says, as she and Gem walk through the halls toward a senior staff meeting. “Your record is absolutely spotless, and besides, everyone knows how vicious the Cardassians are! What if they try to hurt you?” 

“My hands are tied, sister,” Gem says, shaking her head. “We’re lucky she’s not removing all of us. Given the old girl’s... shall we say, unique traits, having a bunch of non-Equestrians in command of a magically augmented ship could lead to problems.” 

“Understatement of the year,” Raven grumbles, and the door to the conference room slides open. Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Twilight, Sunset, Emerald, and Dustin are already present. 

As Raven goes to sit down, Gem speaks. “Good morning, everyone. I have bad news: effective this afternoon at thirteen hundred hours, I will no longer be in command of the Endeavor.” 

“What?!” shouts Emerald, slamming a fist on the table, “Have they lost their minds?!” 

“I realize some of you might have a few objections,” Gem continues, raising a hand for quiet, “But there really isn’t anything I can do. Until the negotiations are complete, this ship will be under the command of Abacus Cinch, captain of the USS Cairo. Dr. Hoofer, Lieutenant Dazzle, and myself will be reassigned. I expect all of you,” she looks at Raven in particular, “to conduct yourselves with the same professionalism and sense of duty that you do with me. While I don’t expect it will be necessary, any deviations will be met with an official reprimand upon my return. Do I make myself clear?” 

There were mumbles of assent throughout the room. 

Dustin, who had been lounging with his boots resting on the table, dropped his feet down to the floor. “For the record, Captain, I am highly suspicious of this whole matter. I mean, with everything that’s been going on, we’re supposed to just accept that Starfleet, in all of its infinite wisdom, now sees fit to remove its three highest-ranking officers from their duties and just let officers of their own choosing slide right in and take over?” 

Gem sighs. "Dustin, I don't like this any more than you do... But my hands really are tied. Besides, I can't just waltz into the Admiral's office in San Francisco and demand a trial when all I have to go on is gut feelings. We don't have any usable evidence yet. If, by the end of this matter, we do find ourselves with a pile of undeniable evidence, then I will not hesitate to go to court. In the meantime, all we can do is hope for the best." She hugs each of her bridge officers. "After all, we will only have truly left this ship when none here are loyal to us." She wipes her eyes. "Dismissed." 

Dustin is the last to leave as the crew files out of the conference room. “You’re making some huge assumptions here, Gem. The biggest one being that they’ll even let us back aboard this damn ship once all of this ‘negotiation’ is finished.” He turns to go. “Let me know when we need to be ready to go, I need to finish packing.” 

"But of course, Dustin. See you soon." Gem waves, then heads back to her ready room. Once inside, her hands glow as she waves them around, undoing her enhancement spell and restoring the room to its default appearance. With a sigh, she collects her mementos in a box, and pats the empty desk fondly. "We'll be back, old girl... I will not let them take you from me. I swear it." 

“I don’t like this,” Sonata whispered to Aria as the two sat at the helm station. “I’ve heard rumors of this Captain Cinch, and of the stick permanently lodged deep in her--” 

“Belay that talk, Lieutenant Dusk,” Raven said from her chair. “We will not submit to rumor-mongering, no matter how many times that rumor has been circulated or how true it may happen to be. She will be in command and we will give her all the respect she deserves, is that clear?” 

Sonata nods sullenly. “Yes, ma’am.” 

Raven gets up and places a hand on Sonata’s shoulder. “I know you’ll miss Dustin, but I also know he’ll write whenever he’s able. Besides, it shouldn’t be too long before he’s back aboard.” 

Sonata smiles a little. “Thank you, Commander.” 

Gem steps from her ready room. "Commander Shadow, the transfer should be happening soon... would you please meet me in Transporter Room One to greet our guest?" 

“Yes, Captain,” Raven replied. She rose, and the two sisters walked to the transporter room, where Abacus Cinch appeared a few moments later. She was an older Earth woman, with grey hair tied back in a tight bun. She stepped off the platform and turned to Raven first, ignoring Gem. 

“Welcome aboard Captain,” Raven began. “I’m Commander-” 

“Raven Shadow. Class of 2401, graduated second in her class. I'm looking forward to serving with you, Commander,” Cinch said, shaking Raven’s hand. Her smile seemed very professional. 

“I am too, ma’am,” Raven said. “May I also introduce my sister, Captain Gemini Shadow?”

Gem smiled. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Captain. I took the liberty of looking you up in our databases, I think Starfleet has chosen a fine hand to guide my crew and ship during these difficult talks. I wish you the best of luck.” 

Cinch’s smile remained, but turned cold. “Captain, with all due respect... I believe you mean _my_ ship and crew. While I am aware that the power transfer isn’t for another hour, as far as I’m concerned, the Endeavour is mine now.” 

“And as far as I’m concerned, Captain Cinch,” Gem replied, matching Cinch’s voice and expression, “I remain in command of this vessel until the transfer of power is complete, and no earlier. Your quarters are on deck three, cabin twelve. I hope you like them. I’ll leave you and Raven to talk things over.” She left, turning quickly on her heels. 

* * *

“... and let the ship’s log record that as of stardate 81012.4, Abacus Cinch is officially in command of the USS Endeavour, per order of Admiral Alynna Nechayev on behalf of Starfleet Command.” The computer beeped in reply. Admiral Nechayev nodded to the two captains. "Thus concludes the transfer of command." 

Gem nods. "Take good care of her, Captain Cinch. She's a family heirloom, after all." She turns to Raven and hugs her gently. "Brave heart, sister. We'll be back before you know it." 

“You'd better be,” Raven whispers, suppressing tears. 

“Captain Shadow, Doctor Hoofer, Lieutenant Commander Dazzle,” Nechayev said, grimacing slightly at the final name, “you will accompany me to the Cairo for your next assignment. Captain Cinch, you know what to do from here.” 

Cinch only nodded, a faint glint of a smile visible on her face. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have work to do, and I suggest you get back to it,” she commanded in a no-nonsense voice. Those present at the ceremony immediately moved to the exit, enroute to their duty stations. 

Gem turned to Cinch. “As I’m sure Starfleet informed you, the Endeavour is unique even among Miranda-class vessels, since she runs partially on Equestrian magic. Naturally, we Equestrians have what you might call a sort of... connection that humans lack. If you need any help, Chief Engineer Emerald Wave is the woman to speak to.” 

“I believe I can get along just fine, Captain Shadow,” Cinch replied. “You need not lecture me on your peculiar biology, I’ve been informed already.” 

With a sigh, Gem stepped up onto the platform, bidding Dustin and Adagio to do likewise. ”Energize,” she says to the transporter room officer, saluting him. The officer salutes back. The four shimmer out of existence, and rematerialize in the transporter room of the Cairo. 

Stepping off, Gem looks around a bit. “Excelsior-class, hm? How interesting... I read once that the first of these vessels had a transwarp drive which failed upon ignition, courtesy of Mr. Montgomery Scott." She smiled a little. "Emerald had never laughed so hard as when I told her that story. Anyway..." She turns to the Vice Admiral. "Lead on, ma'am. I look forward to seeing where we go from here." 

Nechayev motioned to two security officers, who quickly approached the crew. “You will go nowhere but to your quarters until your presence is requested. Security will escort you there.” 

As the three left the transporter, Dustin shook his head. “Yeah, come over to the Cairo, we’ll hang out, have a few laughs...” He shook his head and shot a worried glance over to Gem. 

Gem and Adagio exchange similar glances. "Keep in contact, you two... I don't like this at all." 

* * *

In her quarters, Gem took out a journal, a quill, an ink bottle, and dictated while the quill wrote down her words magically:  _"Gemini's personal log, stardate 81013.3. I write from my quarters aboard the USS Cairo, while the Endeavour is under the command of another officer during negotiations with the Cardassians. Or at least, that's what they've told me. The longer I spend here, the more I think that Dustin's fears are about to be proven correct... if Starfleet truly is working against us, then let the record show that I will do everything possible to ensure that this foolishness is ended."_

The door chime interrupted Gem’s train of thought. “Captain Shadow, you and the other two officers are requested in Conference Room Three on Deck Two. Will you come with me, please?” the security officer announced from the other side of the door. 

Opening the door, Gem stepped out into the corridor and saw Adagio and Dustin already waiting. Two security officers stood behind them, while two more walked ahead. 

“Such a lovely vacation,” Dustin said sarcastically. “I wonder if we’ll get hula lessons on the Promenade deck.” 

“Now, Doctor, it isn’t the captain’s fault,” Adagio replied. “She in the same predicament we are.” 

“What I wonder now is, are we getting new assignments, or being led to the slaughter?” Dustin said flatly as the group walked along the corridor to the turbolift. 

* * *

Cinch sat in the captain’s chair, looking at the viewscreen. Raven sat to her right, looking agitated, and Sunset sat to her left, looking worried. 

Checking her chronometer, she nodded. “It is time. Helm, plot course one eight seven degrees mark four, maximum warp.” 

Aria input the coordinates, then stopped. She started at the star chart. “Ma’am, that puts us in the opposite direction of Cardassian space,” she said. 

“Input the course, Lieutenant, and engage,” Cinch replied coldly.

Aria and Sonata exchanged a glance between them. “Aye, Captain,” Aria replied shakily. 

* * *

“Looks like we’re about to find out what all of this is about,” Adagio said, stepping into the conference room. She stopped short as did Dustin and Gem. Sitting at the table were Captain Alan Brown and Commander Jenna Kroger.

“Hello again, remember us?” Brown said with an evil smile. 

"I see you've scarcely changed a bit in the ensuing months," Gem says, her voice icy even as her heart begins to sink. "I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again, but it's not nice to lie." She withdraws her magic screwdriver. "Exactly what are you planning, Captain Brown?" 

“Oh, come now, Captain, we’re all on the same team here,” Brown said with a chuckle. “In fact, you are being given a research opportunity that no one else in the whole of Starfleet has ever had.” He nods to the three security officers in the room, who quickly render the Equestrians unconscious with a quick phaser blast. “More specifically,” he said, addressing their prone forms, “you will be given to the Cardassians for research into your magical abilities and ways to duplicate or exploit them.” The three limp bodies are dragged out of the room while Brown nods to Kroger. “Call our friends and tell them their gifts are ready for pickup.” 

* * *

Adagio is the first to awaken, followed by Dustin and Gem. “Ugh...what happened...wait, where are we?” she said groggily studying their surroundings. 

The three are in a featureless room, lit by garish lighting designed to prevent them from seeing anything beyond their closest range of vision. Staggering to his feet, Dustin runs toward what he thinks is the opposite wall, only to be slammed backwards by a strong force field. He hits the wall behind them and sinks to the floor. “Okay, no way out that way...” he says in a voice riddled with pain. 

"And they took my screwdriver," Gem says, feeling her pockets. "So I can't use that to deactivate it..." Her hands start to glow. "Blunt magical force then. Concentrate your energies on that part of the wall," she orders, pointing. "Ready?" 

The three concentrate, channeling their magical energy on the wall. Ears, manes, and tails sprout on them as they use every ounce of their energy to breach the wall, until they collapse, exhausted, on the floor. The wall remains intact. 

The sound of one person applauding attracted their attention. They can barely make out the outline of a tall Cardassian standing just outside the force field. “Splendid, impressive demonstration,” he said. “I am Gul Liska, head researcher for the Cardassian Union. You three will be my ... ‘guests’ while we study your magical abilities.” 

"Will we now," Gem says, fingering one of her ears. "Am I to assume all that nonsense the Admiral was telling me a few days ago was nothing more than a trap?" 

“If it helps you sleep at night, than certainly. Oh, speaking of sleep...” A gas floods the cell where the three are kept, slowly knocking them unconscious. “We will begin in the morning. Pleasant dreams.” He turned and walked away. 

* * *

Back aboard the Endeavour, Raven has called a meeting of the remaining Equestrian senior staff in her quarters. "Ladies, I do not approve of the direction Captain Cinch is taking this ship, literally and metaphorically. If she's here to facilitate negotiations with the Cardassians, then why have we left their sector of space?" 

"This whole thing smells to high heaven," Emerald agrees. "We gotta do something about this, Raven! Gem and the others could be hurt!" 

"Which is why I'm proposing we rally the troops," Raven continues. "We'll get the crew together and force Cinch to turn this ship around and rescue them! And if she refuses, I'll take command myself!" 

"Isn't that basically mutiny?" Twilight asks. 

Raven's eyes narrow. "When this is over, we're going to have a lot more than mutiny to worry about, Twilight. What Cinch and the Admiral are doing are dirty. It's time we showed them what we're made of." 

* * *

_“First officer’s personal log, stardate 81022.9. The Endeavour continues to move away from our alleged posting at the Cardassian border. Captain Cinch has issued order after order restricting the use of magic by myself and the remaining Equestrians. The safety and whereabouts of Captain Shadow, Lieutenant Commander Dazzle, and Doctor Hoofer remain unknown to us, with the question being ignored or deflected. With all reasonable avenues of communication effectively stonewalled, I see no other option but to re-take the ship and retrieve the others personally.”_

“... so, that’s where it stands now,” Raven said, addressing the remaining five Equestrians. “I feel we have no other option but to act as if Gem, Adagio, and Dustin are in mortal peril and it’s up to us to rescue them.” 

“But what do we do about Cinch? She treats us as schoolchildren, and she’s the high-and-mighty headmistress,” Twilight protested. “If we’re going to rescue them we’re going to have to take over the ship. Which, in Starfleet’s eyes would be considered mutiny and could get us all court-martialled.” 

Raven sighed. “I know, Twilight. That’s why I called you all here. None of us are Starfleet officers right now. We’re Equestrians. And we take care of our own, leaving none behind. Sunset, what’s the general mood on the ship?” 

“Uncertainty, nervousness, even fear,” Sunset replied. “They don’t fully understand why we’re leaving the captain behind.” 

“I’ve spoken to my department,” Emerald said, “and I can say we have their full support. I’ve even been working on a few things to ensure that, if we needed to, we could effectively seize the ship and no one but us would be able to control her.” 

Raven looked surprised. “How long have you been working on that?” she asked. 

“Ever since that business with Captain Brown,” Emerald answered, a touch of hate in her voice. “Don’t know why, but I got a creepy feeling after that encounter. Looks like I might have been right.” 

“They made a big mistake,” Raven remarked. “They took three officers that inspire unwavering loyalty from their crews. I know that the medical staff would follow Dustin to Tartarus and back if he asked them to, and the security staff would storm the Klingon High Council if Dagi led the charge.” She dropped her voice, and leaned over the table, making eye contact with each one. “I think it’s time we used that loyalty and got our comrades back. I’m asking a lot of you, and I’m giving you all a chance to back out without recrimination or reprisal. This is strictly voluntary. Show of hands: Who’s in?” All five hands raised unanimously. Raven had no doubt about the vote, but she felt it was her duty to ask anyway. 

“Aria,” Raven asks softly, “what’s the closest system to Cardassian space, the best place to launch a rescue effort?” 

“The Lyshan system,” Aria said. “There’s a Bajoran outpost there that will be sympathetic thanks to unprovoked Cardassian raids.” 

Raven nods. “Okay. We go tomorrow. Talk to your support staff and get them to spread the word, carefully so Cinch doesn’t catch on. Here’s what we’ll do...” 

* * *

Weak and exhausted, nursing minor injuries, Gem, Adagio, and Dustin are marched back to their holding cell after a grueling round of experimentation. Following a pre-arranged signal, Gem stumbles, and Dustin and Adagio rush to her side. Joining hands, they link their magic, creating a bubble strong enough to throw their Cardassian guards back several feet, and causing them to drop their weapons. 

Gem, Dustin, and Adagio grabbed the phasers and moved to an access panel. Together, they studied the readout. “Down here!” Adagio yelled, pointing to a corridor ahead. The three moved down the corridor as alarms sounded behind them. 

Flanking Gem, Adagio and Dustin cleared the path of Cardassian guards. A Cardassian managed to get a lucky hit on Gem, making her stumble to the floor. Dustin quickly pulled Adagio into another corridor off to the side as the Cardassians swarmed around Gem. 

“Come on!” Dustin forcefully whispered, taking Adagio by the arm. “But – the captain!” she protested. 

“No!” Dustin hissed. He studied the scanner he had taken from his captors. “There are five more coming from another corridor. There’s a hangar bay this way, let’s go!” He helps Adagio to her feet and the two run in the direction Dustin had indicated. 

Hands manacled in front of her, Gem is led by her Cardassian guards into a small anteroom. She is greeted by a stern-looking Cardassian. He appraises Gem without a trace of emotion showing. Gem recognized him from her Cardassian history classes. He was Gul Madred, the chief inquisitor of the Cardassian intelligence bureau. 

“You should prove an interesting challenge,” he says coolly. “Possibly the most interesting to come through that door in many years.” 

“What do you want?” Gem asked angrily.

“Why, you, of course," replied Madred.

"You can't have me," Gem informs him coldly. "I read all about what you did to Picard... he even told me himself once, when I asked him... It took you ages to break him, and you almost did, had the Enterprise not turned up at the last moment. But a near-victory isn't the same as a proper one." She narrows her eyes. "I will not bend, Gul Madred. Do your worst." 

Madred smiled. “As you wish.” He left the room as Gem was hustled away. 

* * *

The changing of duty shifts aboard the Endeavour was usually a routine time. The day crew arrived and was passed information by the night crew. It all happened practically by rote. Today, however, there was a different feel. 

Raven arrived with the rest of the bridge crew. Sharing a glance between them, they all took their places, whispering to their counterparts. They all nodded and prepared to depart the bridge. 

Captain Cinch arrived, punctual as usual. She noticed the bridge crew in place. “Good,” she said approvingly, “we’re finally getting some discipline aboard this ship. Continue current course and speed, Commander.” 

Raven stood slowly. “No.” She immediately threw a force field around Cinch. “Commander Shadow to all hands, execute Operation Shadowfall!” 

In the officers’ quarters area, the replacement security chief was preparing to start his day. He was running a few minutes behind, expecting to arrive on the bridge at five minutes before his start of duty time instead of the usual ten he alloted. He wondered if he was absorbing the lackadaisical ways of those pony people, thinking he would have to purge himself of that at the first possible opportunity. He opened the door to his quarters and was greeted by a phalanx of security officers, phaser rifles leveled at his chest. The largest officer, a surly Klingon named K’bleh, grinned. “Please. Resist,” she said menacingly. 

In Engineering, Emerald grinned upon hearing the order. Motioning for the crew to stand away from their consoles, she placed her hands upon the main control panel. Her hands started to glow, and as ears and tail sprouted form her body, the glow spread to each console, along the warp core, and into the central computers. Flashes of data danced across her glasses, and with the same speed, she was able to input her own instructions. 

Doctor Beverly Anderson lay on a biobed in Sickbay, heavily restrained and sedated. Standing around her were Doctors Samuels and Andrews, along with two nurses. An empty hypospray was in Doctor Andrews’s hand. “That was easy enough,” he remarked. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Cinch demanded, looking around angrily at the bridge crew. 

“The meaning of this is, this ship is now under my control. Only Equestrian nationals can pilot the ship or enter command codes to the computer.” Raven strode up to Cinch. “And, we’re going to get our shipmates back,” she sneered. 

"This is mutiny, Commander Shadow," Cinch growls, "I'll have you all court-martialed for this, and this bucket of bolts sent to the scrap heap where it belongs! The Federation will be free of freaks like you once and for all!" 

"You can hang us all from crosses if you want, Cinch," Raven spits. "As of today, we are Equestrians, first and foremost." Her words are broadcast across the ship. "All of us, from whatever planet we're from. Earth, Q'onoS, Vulcan... anywhere. What unites us is that we are led by someone who inspires others every day, who has made friends with every member of this crew, down to the very bottom of the totem pole." Her voice turns cold as she locks eyes with Cinch. "She is my sister. And you will not take her away from me." She throws Cinch into a corner with her magic, then takes the center seat. "Guards! Take her to the brig!" 

Two guards grab Cinch and hustle her to the turbolift. “Report, Miss Sparkle,” Raven commanded. 

“All sections reporting ready for orders, Commander,” Twilight said with a smile.

“The ship is dropping out of warp, Commander. Shall we set new course?” Sonata asked. 

Raven sat down in the command chair, the one her sister normally occupied. “Set course for the Lyshan system, maximum warp!” Aria and Sonata tapped the commands into their consoles. “Engage!” Raven barked. As the ship began to accelerate on its new course, she sat down and stared at the screen. “We’re coming,” she whispered. 

* * *

“Entering Federation space,” Adagio announced, piloting the runabout they had liberated from the Cardassians. “We are transmitting that recognition code you entered, Doctor.” 

“Good,” Dustin said, dressing one of Adagio’s wounds. “Now, time to call in a few favors. How long until we reach the Lyshan system?” 

“About three hours at maximum,” Adagio replied, “but we’ll be coasting in. Fuel reserves will be depleted.” 

“When we get close, I’ll call to Lyshan-6. There’s a farming colony there that can relay a message for us.” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Adagio, we’ll get the captain back.” 

Adagio smiles. "I believe you, Dustin. You really are a miracle worker." 

* * *

Cinch is placed unceremoniously into the brig. Emerald passes by, and lets her hands glow as she places a magical forcefield up in addition to the one already present. She smiles. "Hope you're comfy in there, Abby," she says, sounding casual. "You're going to be in there for a long while, at least until we get to the next starbase. You won't be going back to the Cairo, Gem will make sure of that." 

Cinch just glowers at Raven from inside her cell. 

* * *

Gem sits in a chair and appears to be in a trance-like state. Standing behind her are two Cardassians, Gul Madred and another. “Place of birth?” asks Madred. 

“Canterlot ... Equestria ...,” she robotically replied. 

“Mother’s maiden name?” 

“Raven Mystic...” 

Madred turns to the other. “She’s ready. Keep the serum at that level.” He walks closer to Gem. “What is your primary genetic marker?” he asks. 

“Equine ... unicorn...” Gem utters.

“What is the source of your magical abilities?”

“... I don’t know.” 

Madred sighs heavily. “Increase the dosage to 6.2.” The other Cardassian approaches Gem and, after adjusting his hypospray, injects Gem with the new dosage. “Now then, let’s start again from the top,” Madred says methodically. “Place of birth?”

“Canterlot ... Equestria ...,” she robotically replied.

“Mother’s maiden name?” 

“Raven Mystic...” 

“What is your primary genetic marker?” he asks. 

“Equine ... unicorn...” Gem utters. 

“What is the source of your magical abilities?” 

“... I don’t know.” 

"Why don't you know?" 

"No unicorn does," Gem manages. "Many have tried to work out where it comes from, but not even Starswirl was able to crack it..." 

“Oh, but we will, and you will help us. You will tell us all that we wish to know.” He nods to the other Cardassian, who injects Gem with a different hypospray. Gem promptly falls asleep. The two leave the room. 

* * *

_“First officer’s personal log, supplemental. We have rendezvoused with Doctor Hoofer and Lieutenant Commander Dazzle at Lyshan-6, after receiving a transmission from the Bajoran farming colony on that planet.”_

“All they want is our magic, apparently,” Dustin says as one of the nurses treats his wounds. “They studied everything about it, made us pony up repeatedly ... it wore us down to a point that we couldn’t function. They backed off slightly after that.” 

"I can only imagine the horror Gem is going through right now," Adagio agrees. "But the pain... my throat has never been so raw." She swallows some water given to her by a nurse. "Once they found out I could sing, I had to play every song I knew..." 

“Gem got the worst of it. They figured her magic would be stronger, so they put her through test after test.” Dustin motioned for the PADD his nurse was holding, and added some notes to it. “Adagio, you and I are on a special diet for the next few days to rebuild our magic reserves. It’s imperative that you stick to the plan, I feel we’ll need all of our strength to help Captain Shadow.” 

Adagio nods. "Got it." Just then Sonata and Aria burst into the room. Sonata runs over to the bio-bed where Adagio is sitting and hugs her tight. "Dagi! You're back! You're okay! You're safe! I can finally make tacos again!" 

Adagio hugged her back gently, wincing from the pain. "I missed you too, Sonata. And Aria. Now please, go hug your boyfriend." Dustin would then find himself ensnared by a pair of blue arms, while being kissed on every bit of exposed skin Sonata could easily reach. 

“While Dustin is once again fighting for his life,” Raven said with a small smirk, “is there a way to find out where they were holding you three?” 

“We could check the distance logs,” Aria said. “By plotting the distance traveled, we can come up with the star system, and by analyzing their course vector, narrow it down within several hundred kilometers.” 

Raven nods. "Sounds good to me. Go to it, Aria."

"Aye, ma'am," Aria replies, heading back toward the bridge after hugging Adagio. 

* * *

Gem awakes the next morning feeling like she'd been hit by a team of gigantic stampeding bunny rabbits. She looks blearily around, licking her lips pointlessly. 

Immediately, she is blindfolded and shackled by her guards, and dragged roughly down a long passageway. They stop, and gem hears the voice of Gul Madred in front of her. “May I remove your shackles, Captain?” he asks silkily. 

Gem did not reply verbally, she simply raised her hands and allowed Madred to do his work. He removes her blindfold, and Gem blinks as her eyes adjust to the light in the room. The room itself is featureless, with a desk sitting along a far wall, and except for a chair, no other discernible furniture. 

Madred nods to the guards, and they exit. He walks over to the chair and pats it, indicating Gem should sit. “Your species is quite intriguing. How is it you were able to evolve into such intelligent beings from what were essentially pack animals?” 

Gem sits down, recalling everything she'd been taught. "The bonds of friendship... of harmony... brought together three types of ponies under one banner... under the guidance of the Royal Sisters, we began to learn, to create... and now, with the Federation's help, we've begun to explore worlds far beyond our own..." She takes a deep breath. "And here I am. Pony ingenuity combined with Starfleet science to create something new... I can see why you'd want us." She coughs a little. "You wouldn't be the first, you know... my father was a favorite target of the Romulans." 

Madred revealed no emotion or interest. “Indeed, we are interested in you. You, specifically, and your magical abilities that we will have for our own. Once you get around to telling us, that is."

"And as I've told you, I don't know," Gem responds coldly. "Nopony does!"

“Then, it appears you leave me no alternative.” He presses a control on his pad and the security officers re-enter the room. They roughly drag Gem out of the hair and shackle her, dragging her to the center of the room. A steel rack lowers from the ceiling. Gem’s arms are raised and she is secured to the rack, arms above her head, feet on the floor. 

"Torture is expressly forbidden by the terms of the Seldonis Four convention governing treatment of prisoners of war!" Gem protests, as she hangs there from the rack. "Besides which! As a means of extracting information, it is utterly futile!" 

“You are not a prisoner of war, as no hostilities between our peoples have been declared,” Madred replied coldly. He produced a knife and began to cut off Gem’s uniform. “From this point on, you will enjoy no privileges of person, no privilege of rank. From now on, I will refer to you only as Equestrian. You have no other identity!” Pressing a button, the rack lifted off the floor. The remains of Gem’s uniform were pulled down to her ankles, and the three Cardassians left, leaving Gem hanging, naked and alone. 

Gem feels the last of her uniform slide down her legs, and she whimpers. "Daddy..."

* * *

Hours later, Madred returns. "Good morning. I trust you slept well?" he asked. Gem did not reply. Madred walks across the room to a desk, pours himself a drink, and says "Thirsty? I would imagine so. Well, It's time to move on."

"I've told you all that I know," Gem says hoarsely.

Madred nods. "Yes, I'm sure you have. He turns on four spotlights behind his desk. "How many lights do you see there?"

"I see four lights," Gem answered.

"No, there are five. Are you quite sure?" asked Madred.

"There are four lights," Gem repeated.

"Perhaps you're aware of the incision on your chest," Madred said. "Above your left breast. While you were under the influence of our drugs, you were implanted with a small device. It's a remarkable invention." He held up a small PADD. "By entering commands in this PADD, I can produce pain in any part of your body at various levels of severity. Forgive me. I don't enjoy this but I must demonstrate. It will make everything clearer." He pushes a button, and Gem falls to the floor, screaming in agony. Then it stopped abruptly. 

"Surprising, isn't it?" Madred continued. "Most people feel at first that they can steel themselves against it but they're completely unprepared for the intensity of the pain. That was the lowest possible setting. However..." He smiled darkly. "Given how long you've been here, Equestrian, I am surprised you've been able to resist us still. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. Now... How many lights do you see?"

* * *

“I think we have it, Commander,” Twilight said from her station. “We can narrow it down to one of two planets, but they’re both deep in Cardassian space.” 

“What’s going on, Commander?” Dustin said, entering the bridge from the turbolift. 

“We’re going to get her, Doctor,” Raven replied, “only problem is, we’re gonna have to fight our way through Cardassian space to do so.” 

“Commander, we’re being intercepted! Cardassian ships approaching, weapons armed!” Adagio announced. 

Raven tapped her comm badge. “Shadow to Wave ... how are those other modifications coming along?” she asked. 

“Just finished, Commander. Awaiting a test run,” Emerald’s voice replied.

Raven smiled. “Open a channel to the lead Cardassian ship.” 

“This is Gul Lemec,” announced the Cardassian on the viewscreen. “You are intruding in Cardassian space. State your intentions or be destroyed.” 

“This is Commander Raven Shadow of the USS Endeavour,” Raven replied coolly. “Before you do anything rash, we suggest you stand down and allow us safe passage, otherwise any attack on this vessel will result in a magical attack upon your ships.” 

“Your magic is of no match for the might of the Cardassian fleet,” Lemec said, eyes glinting.

“Oh, really?” Raven said with an evil smile. “Commander Dazzle, attack 47-Alpha, please.” 

Adagio keyed the command into her console. A lone photon torpedo streaked toward the Cardassians. It detonated, washing the ships with a bright pink aura. Instantly, every Cardassian started to laugh uncontrollably, barely able to catch a breath. 

Dustin turned away from the viewscreen and whispered to Raven, “A tickle bomb? Seriously?” 

"Shut up," Raven whispers back. "It worked, didn't it? Besides, they could use a sense of humor." The Endeavour sails unharmed through the fleet of ships toward the planet where Gem is being held, unharmed. Raven gets to her feet. "Doctor Hoofer, prepare for her arrival in sickbay. Commander Sparkle, you're with me." She marches toward the turbolift. 

“I’ll have a crew in the transporter room,” Dustin said, following along. 

* * *

Gem had lost count of how many days she had been subject to the methodical processes of Gul Madred. All she knew was that hope was fading fast, as were her prospects for rescue. The pain and suffering she had endured were taking their toll. Now, she knew why Captain Picard had been so close to the breaking point, willing to do anything to make the pain stop. 

Madred entered the chamber. “I bring you news,” he said emotionlessly. “Your crew attempted to mount a rescue. The ship now burns in space.” He walks to his desk. “All hands were lost, sadly enough. Such a pity, really."

"You murdered them all, didn't you?" Gem exclaims, the last of her composure breaking away. "Just like what the Romulans did to Daddy..." She closes her eyes. "Will you kill me, Gul Madred?" she asks finally. "Will you be that merciful? I don't have anything else..." 

"No, I will not kill you... That is a form of escape, and we can't let you escape, my dear." Madred went and pushed a button on his desk. Lights came on behind his head, shining down on Gem and her sweat-soaked skin. "Tell me, Equestrian... How many lights do you see?" He asked.

Gem thought for a moment, but before she could reply, three Cardassians entered the chamber. Seeing Gem in her disheveled state, the lead Cardassian turned to Madred. “You said you’d have her ready!” he demanded. 

“We had some ... unfinished business,” Madred replied. 

“Captain Gemini Shadow!” the Cardassian exclaimed. “You will accompany us, please. Your first officer and science officer are waiting to take you back aboard your starship.” 

Gem gets to her feet and looks toward Madred. "There are FOUR lights," she informs him, before letting the Cardassians lead her out. Once reunited with Raven and Twilight, she hugs them both, crying into their shoulders. "I missed you both so much, they told me you were dead at first... how did you get here? What happened with Cinch? Are Dustin and Adagio okay?" 

Raven shushes Gem. “You can ask him yourself, he’s waiting on the Endeavour. Let’s get you home now.” The three stand together as Raven taps her comm badge. They shimmer out of existence. 

Gul Madred allows himself a small smile. “They’re stronger than anyone thought,” he mused. 

* * *

“I got that implant out,” Dustin said to Gem as she lay on the biobed, “and healed most of the damage. Physically, you should be okay to return to duty as long as you follow the diet I’ve prescribed. Your magic reserves took a bit hit, Captain.” He picks up a hypospray. “In here is a nanite tracker. It will read your vital signs and location and transmit it to a device I have here. It will always be on my person.” He injects the nanite at the base of Gem’s neck, then checks the readout on his tricorder. “Good, all working normally.” 

"Thank you, Doctor," Gem says with a smile, straightening her repaired uniform. "Now then, I am told I have a prisoner to attend to..." She rises and heads off toward the brig. 

* * *

"So, Captain Cinch... was this your idea of a colossal joke?" Gem asks, standing in Cinch's cell. "You, Captain Brown, Admiral Nechayev... you all decided to play a prank on myself and my fellow Equestrians! My family! By selling us out to the Cardassians!" She removes her uniform top, letting her see what remains of her scars from Madred's techniques. "Very hilarious joke, very droll... I mean, if it worked for Jean-Luc, why not me, hmm? Inventive!" She sits down beside Cinch. "What do you have to say for yourself?" 

“Your kind doesn’t belong in Starfleet,” Cinch sniffed. “I don’t approve of little horsies flying around in starships playing astronaut. Your kind should have never been allowed to join the Federation, much less create whatever abomination it is that you claim to be! The sooner your kind are drummed out of the service, the better!” 

“Be that as it may, we are members of the Federation, and Starfleet officers, titles we earned the same way you did!” Adagio spat. “We also enjoy the same protections you do, such as not being sold to the highest bidder for whatever purpose they see fit! With all of the interstellar laws you’ve broken, I’d be surprised if you saw the outside world again even once before you die. Oh, and you really should use better methods to destroy your incriminating data, our chief engineer had your files recovered in mere seconds.” 

Emerald grinned at Cinch. "Automated backups, baby."

“There’s one more task to perform,” Raven said coldly. “And you will perform it properly. Lieutenant K’bleh, would you assist us?” 

“Gladly,” the Klingon said, smiling. She roughly yanked Cinch to her feet. 

Cinch scowled. “Computer, transfer all command codes to Captain Gemini Shadow--” she choked out the name – “authorization Cinch-six-three-bravo.” 

The computer beeped. “Transfer complete. The USS Endeavour is now under the command of Captain Gemini Shadow.” 

"As she should be," Gem says triumphantly, patting the wall fondly. "Now then... in case you see your other two friends again, tell them this from me: your days are numbered. I am normally a forgiving woman, but this... this I cannot, will not, forgive. You have had me tortured beyond all imagining, you took my ship from me on false pretenses, you have done things that would not be worthy of a commander of a garbage scow, let alone a STARSHIP CAPTAIN!" Sparks fly from her fingers. "I will pursue whatever legal action I can against you and your co-conspirators. I will bring the Federation courts upon you, and if necessary, the Equestrian ones too. I will see your careers brought down in flames, and if it brings me down too, then so be it." She leans in. "If you take nothing else from this, remember: you will find it is a very small universe when I am angry with you. And you've made me very angry indeed." 

Cinch said nothing, straightening her uniform and returning to the bunk in the cell. She sat down and glared at Gem. 

* * *

“So, Starfleet Command is going to relieve Cinch of her rank and dishonorably discharge her from Starfleet,” Raven announced to Dustin, Emerald, and Twilight, who were seated in Ten Forward with Adagio, Aria, and Sonata. Sonata hugged Dustin’s arm tight. 

“So, where is the captain? I would have thought she would be here with us,” Emerald asked, sounding concerned. 

“She’s busy with Sunset right now,” Dustin said, moving his drink to his other hand, Sonata holding fast. “Given what she’s been through lately, it’s definitely for the best.” 

* * *

Gem sips her tea, looking lost in thought. "Before the others came to bring me back, he told me you all had died... I felt like I had nothing left. I wanted to die, because it would mean being with you again... with Dad again..." She takes another sip. "And he kept asking me how many lights I saw... he wanted me to say there were five, when there were only four. I almost would have told him, if it could make the pain stop." She puts the empty cup down. "What does that make me, Sunset?" 

Sunset looked at Gem. “It makes you someone that’s been through a horrible ordeal. It’s only natural to want to end the suffering and do anything to achieve that goal. You didn’t break. You held firm and refused to give in. I know you wanted to give up, that’s normal for anyone.” She took Gem’s hand. “It’s not so much what you go through that defines who you are, it’s what happens after. Are you going to let this fester in your mind, let it control your dealings with others, or are you going to grow and be better than your tormentor?” 

"I will grow," Gem replies, nodding. "I will not let this encounter color any future encounters with Cardassians that we may have. It wouldn't be right." She looks thoughtful for a moment. "I saw his granddaughter once, while I was there... she was adorable. Maybe, someday, we'll meet again." 

“Maybe you’ll meet as friends, not as adversaries,” Sunset replied. “Gem, I really think you should take extra time for yourself, in light of all that’s happened lately. Just be yourself, not the almighty captain. Go, have fun, lose yourself in a hobby. Just as long as you take time to heal your spirit along with your body. Okay?” 

Gem nods, hugging Sunset tight. "I have a thing or two in mind," she says. "I'll be in the holodeck if you need me." She makes her departure, feeling more at peace than she has in several days. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C: Our take on the TNG episodes where Picard gets tortured by the Cardassians. One thing I do like (among other things) is Raven’s plan to engineer a mutiny when Cinch, who fills Jellico’s role, refuses to rescue Gem.


	11. God Save the Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starfleet Command learns of a resurgent Borg, and sends the Endeavour off to deal with them, figuring Equestrian magic will give them an advantage. But Gem is quickly captured and transformed into Regina, the new Queen of the Borg.

_"Captain's log, stardate 81032.3. I have returned to the command of the Endeavour following my kidnapping by the Cardassians on the order of Captain Alan Brown, a rogue Starfleet officer. It is my personal belief that he, Admiral Nechayev, Abacus Cinch, and an assortment of unidentified other groups have been working together with the sole purpose of removing me and my fellow Equestrians from Starfleet. As such, I intend to pursue any and all actions that I can within the Federation and Equestrian justice systems. In addition, I have asked Lieutenant Commander Wave to continue her research into magic-based weaponry. I would help, but I am already weak from the Cardassians' recent assault on my magic, and I have been ordered by Dr. Hoofer to use as little of it as possible unless I want to give myself a week-long migraine. Still, duty calls."_

Raven’s voice comes from her comm badge: “Captain, you have an alpha priority communication from Starfleet Command.” 

“Acknowledged!” Gem replies, turning to her view screen. “Authorization Shadow four twenty seven juliet charlie!” 

The screen switches on, showing the admiral. Gem quickly salutes. “Admiral! What a surprise!” 

“I didn’t catch you at a bad time, I hope, Captain Shadow,” the admiral says. 

“Not at all, sir,” Gem says. “What’s going on?” 

The admiral’s face is grave. “I’ve just received a disturbing report from Deep Space 5. Our colony on Ivor Prime was destroyed this morning. Long-range sensors have picked up Borg ships.” He leans in slightly. “Captain Shadow, yours is the only ship in the fleet with abilities the Borg won’t be able to assimilate. And I know I don’t need to tell you how dangerous they are.” 

Gem nodded. “Certainly not. My father’s career began with them. Are you suggesting we go and head them off?” 

The admiral nods. “You will, of course, have backup. We’ll be sending Admiral William Riker and Captain Picard along, just in case something bad happens. We believe the Borg headed back to Wolf 359, where all the trouble started. Good luck. Starfleet out.” The screen goes dark.

* * *

Aboard the USS Enterprise, Picard and Riker are headed toward the transporter room. Both men have aged significantly since their early days in space, but neither one show any signs of slowing down. 

"Looking forward to seeing Gem again, Captain?" Riker asks, smiling slightly. 

Picard nods. "Certainly, Admiral. Captain Shadow shows great promise, and I am honored to be her mentor." 

Riker chuckles. "You've rubbed off on her, that's for sure." They stepped aboard the platform. "Energize."

* * *

Aboard the Endeavour, Raven and Gem are awaiting their guests. As Picard steps off the platform, Gem embraces him. "Captain Picard! How wonderful to see you, as always!" 

Picard returns the embrace. “As it is to see you, Captain Shadow. I only wish it could have been under better circumstances.” Releasing the embrace, he indicates Will standing to the side, looking amused. "You remember Admiral Riker, of course...” 

“Of course,” Gem says, grinning. “I’ll always remember the day he kept me back after class to tell me I’d been accepted into the accelerated officers program. How time flies!” She claps her hands. “Right... to business.” She taps her badge. “Lieutenant Blaze, plot a course for Wolf 359 and have all weapons primed and ready to fire on my command once we arrive, I don’t want to take any unnecessary chances.” 

“Course plotted and laid in, Captain,” Aria replied. “Lieutenant Dusk reports at current speed, we will reach the area within 13 hours. Commander Dazzle reports all weapons armed and operational, all shields functioning normally.” 

“Excellent news,” Gem says. “Keep me informed in case anything changes. Shadow out.” 

* * *

“I can’t imagine you’re too enthused about returning to Wolf 359, Captain Picard,” Gem comments, as she, Picard, and Riker sit in Gem’s ready room. “And I can’t say I’m surprised... Truth be told, I’m not enthused either, after what happened with Mother and Father.” She gulps. 

“Starfleet suspects, and I concur, that the Borg are using this as a means to draw you out,” Picard said gravely. “When your parents were assimilated, they were a new entity, completely unknown to the Borg, which allowed them to escape. They have also not been able to truly study your magical abilities, which worked to your parents’ advantage.” 

“We’re only here to advise you during this conflict,” Riker added. “You will be in full control of your ship and the crew, we will only suggest tactics based on our past confrontations with the Borg.” His mood darkened. “We heard about your experiences prior to this mission, and we can understand your reluctance to be as trusting as you once were.” 

“I imagine my mission reports must make for some entertaining reading,” Gem agrees. “You two need not worry, I know you’re not like Brown and his crew. I trust you both with my life. The rest of Starfleet...” She frowns. “Let’s just say my view of them isn’t as rosy as it was.” 

“It will be tough to know the good from the bad, Gemini,” Picard said soothingly, “but rest assured that the views of Captain Cinch and her similars are in the minority.” 

“I can only hope so, Jean-Luc...” Gem says, nodding at his words.

* * *

A short while later, Gem, Raven, Picard, and Riker have gone down to Engineering to look over weapons systems. “What do you have for me, Emerald?” Gem asked. 

Emerald grins. “You’ll love this, Gemini! We’ve been working on the tickle bombs from the Cardassian thing, and I’m testing something that I like to call the Orbital Friendship Cannon.” 

Gem blinks. “What does it do?” 

Emerald holds out a PADD. “Well, you know how the Elements of Harmony work, right? Same principle. Get six people that best represent Honesty, Kindness, Loyalty, Laughter, Generosity, and Magic and you have a device that could, as an example, undo any chaos magic. And best of all, if you get more people, it increases the weapon’s power! Isn’t that amazing?” She’s practically bouncing on her heels. 

“Do they have to be Equestrian born?” Raven asked, curious. “Or, will this work with any species as long as there’s at least one Equestrian to channel the magic?” 

Emerald thought for a moment. “Good question. We haven’t had a chance to test it out yet, but odds are, as long as you have at least one Equestrian around, I see no reason why a Klingon, a Vulcan, or an Earther couldn’t join in the fun either.” She inspects Riker thoughtfully. “Mr. Riker, you’re the new Rainbow Dash. By which I mean Element of Loyalty.” 

“I’m ... not sure if that’s a good thing or not,” Riker said, amused. 

“Oh, it’s fine,” Raven said, patting his arm. “It just means you need to show the traits of loyalty ... never abandoning your crewmates, standing up for the pure and good principles Starfleet embodies in its officers ... oh, and you get to be a teensy bit egocentric, too.” 

The Equestrians chuckled as Riker grinned, blushing slightly.

* * *

The eight Equestrian bridge officers sat at their appointed places on the bridge, with Riker and Picard standing beside Raven and Sunset respectively. “We’ll be reaching Wolf 359 within 15 minutes, Captain,” Sonata reported. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Gem responded. “It looks as though our new weapons systems will be undergoing a trial by fire.” She looks to the two advisers. “Has anyone ever managed to pull off a sneak attack on the Borg?” 

“There’s no record of any Federation ship or otherwise getting remotely close enough to the Borg to--” Picard began. 

“We’re being scanned,” Adagio reported. 

“The streak continues,” Riker said wryly. 

Gem sighed. “It was worth a try…”

“Sensors read two Borg cubes in the area, one moving to intercept,” Adagio said, tapping her console. “I’m not reading weapons activating at this time.” 

“Battle stations, red alert,” Raven said calmly. The lighting on the bridge changed, becoming darker, red lights flashing and klaxons sounding. 

“Cube entering visual range, Captain,” Adagio announces. 

“On screen. Magnify,” Gem orders. An ominous looking black cube lit by green lights looms out of the darkness. Gem sighs, “Miss Dazzle, dispatch a subspace message to Starfleet. We have engaged the Borg.” 

“Captain, you are being hailed,” says Adagio in surprise. “By name.”

“On screen,” Gem orders. The viewscreen just shows the inside of the cube. 

“Gemini Shadow, captain of the Starship Endeavor, registry NCC 0326, you will lower shields and prepare to transport yourself aboard our vessel. If you do not cooperate, we will destroy your ship,” say many voices. 

“I most certainly will not!” Gem replies hotly. “You have committed acts of aggression against the United Federation of Planets. If you do not withdraw immediately-” 

She is interrupted by the voices of the Collective. “You will surrender yourself or we will destroy your ship. Your defensive capabilities are unable to withstand us.” 

Gem’s face is grim. “And I told you, I’m not going. I will never surrender to the likes of you.” She adjusts her tunic. “Fire the first volley, five rounds rapid. We’ll give them something to think about.” 

Four photon torpedos streak away from the Endeavour. They find their marks, exploding at key sections of the Borg cube. 

“The cube is moving away, Captain,” Adagio said, studying her scanner, “and there was a brief burst of laughter from the cube right before it did so. The second cube is maintaining position.” 

“Never thought I’d see the day where I heard a Borg laugh,” Riker commented. “It sounded almost human.” He and Picard exchanged looks. 

“They’re feeling us out,” Picard said softly. “Captain Shadow, do you have a shield randomizer program?” 

Gem nods. “Miss Dazzle, execute shield pattern Discord-two-four.”

Adagio punches the command into her console. “Activated. Shield frequencies randomizing.” 

“Open a hailing frequency,” Gem orders. “I want to see what’s going on with that second cube.” 

Adagio taps on her console. “No response. They’re ignoring us.”

“What are they up to?” Picard mused, as an alarm sounded on Adagio’s panel. “Transporter signal! It’s from the Borg ship!” she exclaims.

Three Borg drones materialized on the bridge, surrounding Gem. One placed something to her neck, knocking her unconscious. Before the bridge crew could react, the Borg, with Gem in tow, dematerialized. 

Raven was livid. “Those miserable, no-good...” 

“Easy, Commander,” Riker said authoritatively. “We’ll get her back. In the meantime, unless you want to relinquish to Captain Picard, you’re in command of this ship.” 

Raven looked around. Every face on the bridge studied her, waited for instruction. 

“Commander Shadow,” Adagio said solemnly, “the Borg ships are preparing to depart, their warp drives are activating.” 

“Follow them,” Raven growled. “Match course and speed. Senior staff to the ready room, I want to know our options.” She turned on her heel and walked quickly to the ready room.

* * *

Gem awakens after some time to find herself in a strange place. The air is cold, the lights are dim, and all around her is the sound of marching feet on catwalks. She gulps, and looks around at the three drones carrying her. “Take me to your leader!” she barks. “I don’t appreciate being abducted off my own ship!” 

The drones say nothing, bundling her down the corridor. They do not stop until they reach a brightly-lit room, a steel table occupying the center, an array of medical tools mounted to robotic arms hanging from where the ceiling would be if Borg cubes did indeed have ceilings. 

Gem squints as she waits for her eyes to adjust, then wishes it hadn’t as cold dread washes down her. She sees the arms first, then the medical tools. “Oh no, you’re not doing that to me!” Her hands start to glow and she brings them together, creating a magical shockwave which she sends in the direction of the drones. 

The drones are thrown back a short distance as Gem crumples to the ground, clutching her head in agony. She can only struggle weakly as the drones recover and forcibly strap her down to the table. 

“Gemini Shadow,” says a female voice, “you shall be the one to introduce the collective uniqueness of your species to us. You will serve by my side, and be my voice for all to hear and obey.” 

“The hell I will,” Gem replies weakly, even through the torment going on in her head. “Dustin’s going to be so mad at me when he finds out I used magic...” She blacks out as the drones knock her out again.

* * *

Gem is playing in the backyard of Shadowfall Manor with Raven and Sunset. It's a warm, sunny day, and she is wearing a simple white dress with green trim. She climbs onto a slide, her fingertips brushing against the cool metal of the ladder. Concealed behind a tree are Gem and the Borg Queen.

"This is a memory," says the strange female voice. It is cold and robotic.

"It is," Gem replies, watching her younger self play. "I was seven years old, and Sunset had just been adopted by my father the week before."

"Memories are irrelevant," intones the Queen. "You will be assimilated." She walks across the lawn to little Gem and stabs her with assimilation tubules. The girl screams in pain, rubbing at her arm as her body is quickly mechanized.

There's a bright flash, and the scene has changed. The two are now watching an older Gem, in her mid-teens, learning from Princess Twilight in the School of Friendship.

"Another memory," says the Queen.

Gem nods. "Correct."

As they watch, the Queen speaks. "Your neural pathways reveal that you are of two species," she says. "A hybrid."

Gem nods again. "I am the result of a successful experiment fusing equine DNA with that of a human."

"Humans will be assimilated," says the Queen. "Equestrians will be assimilated."

"As you have assured me multiple times," Gem responds, frowning.

"We encountered Equestrians in the past," the Queen says. "They were assimilated."

"I know," Gem says coldly. "I've been hearing those stories ever since I was little. But I suspect that my combined Equestrian and human DNA is proving more of an obstacle than you expected."

"All obstacles will be conquered," the Queen says. "Resistance is futile." She injects more nanotubes into Gem's flesh, and everything goes black.

* * *

_“Acting captain's log, supplemental: The Borg have taken my sister. Do I really need to say anything else?”_

In Gem’s ready room, Raven is having her shoulders massaged by Sunset, though it doesn’t seem to be helping very much. “Those...” She says a word too impolite to be properly transcribed, “have taken my sister from me! I’ll blow them out of existence if I have to!” she snarls. 

“Tell you what, let’s get the captain off that ship, then you can enact any unholy vengeance you want upon them, okay?” Dustin said, staring intently at a small viewing screen. Picard and Riker are standing with Dustin and looking over his shoulder. 

“How strong is that signal?” Riker asked, looking closer. 

“Fairly strong at close-range, and can be set to use Federation communication relays for longer-range operations.” He cursed as he tapped a few commands onto the console. “There’s a lot of interference. Are they jamming our communications?” 

“It seems that way,” Sonata confirms. “They might want to cut us off, so we can’t call for backup. I’ve been hailing Command repeatedly and all I get is static.” 

Dustin frowns and taps a few more commands. “There! I can track her by proximity, but only to a general point. It won’t be exact, but I can see where on that damn cube they’re holding her.” He points to a flashing purple dot. “And there she is.” 

“Let’s go get her then,” Raven says, and looks to Picard and Riker. “Captain and Commander, you’re with me. You too, Miss Sparkle. Doctor Hoofer, stand by in sickbay just in case.” She makes for the door.

* * *

The four materialize on board the Borg ship. Picard and Riker quickly hustle Raven and Twilight to the side. “Remember, stay quiet and don’t let them react to you. If you keep out of their line of sight they’ll ignore your presence,” Picard counseled. 

Moving down the corridor, guided by a portable tracker provided by Dustin, Twilight was able to direct the group toward where Gem was last known to be. As the team got closer, the tracker went silent, the purple dot no longer visible. “Uh oh...” Twilight said softly, showing the tracker to the other three. 

“Oh dear, this is a predicament, isn’t it?” says a familiar voice. “Alone in a big ship surrounded by creatures who want nothing more than to see you join the Collective... you might be in some trouble.” Gem, or what’s left of her, steps into the light. Most of her is now mechanical, with her right arm replaced with the cannibalized remnants of her magic screwdriver. Her grey skin is tinted green by the ambient light of the cube. She speaks: "I am Regina... of Borg. Resistance... is futile. Your lives as they have been... are over. From this time forward, you will service us.” The four are surrounded by a group of drones. “Don’t try to resist, it’ll make the assimilation process difficult. I’ll save you four for last while the rest of my drones assimilate your crew and cannibalize the Endeavour.” She smiles darkly at Picard. “Hello again, Locutus. It’s good to see you.” 

“That is not my name,” Picard growled. “Release her at once!” 

Raven and Twilight joined hands, and their bodies began to glow. “Grab the captain and keep her close to us!” Raven shouted. Riker grabbed Gem, roughly shoving her into the center of where the girls stood, the glow getting brighter and brighter. Picard and Riker huddled in as well. “Signal the ship! Transport to sickbay, now!” Raven yelled. The glow was as bright as the sun, and with a final push, an explosion rocked the Borg ship, sending drones flying down the length of the corridor. 

Dustin sighed as Gem and the rest materialized in Sickbay. He grabbed a hypospray and jabbed it into her arm, sending the contents into her body. Gem collapsed, and was picked up by four nurses and placed on an examination table. “You never make it easy for me, do you, Captain?” he muttered, scanning her unconscious form. 

“Commander, the Borg are starting to recover,” Adagio announces as the foursome return to the bridge. “We have transporter signatures too, they’re beaming in all over the ship!” 

A loud roar was heard as a drone flew into Gem’s ready room door with a dull thunk. “That’s what you get for taking our captain!” Lieutenant K’bleh is heard to say. 

* * *

In sickbay, Regina opens her eyes after a little while and smirks at Dustin. “Why are you wasting your time on me, hmm? You’re letting half the crew get assimilated, you know. Some doctor you turned out to be.” Nanotubes extend from her fingers. “At least as one of us, you won’t have to worry about such things. Or anything else, for that matter.” 

Dustin grabs a laser scalpel and activates it. “Let’s get one thing straight, whatever you are,” he snarls, slicing at the nanotubes, “my duty is to this ship and all of the personnel aboard. And Captain Shadow is one of my best friends, and because of that I will not stand by and let you have her without some type of a fight!” A force field surrounds the biobed ‘Regina’ is strapped to. Exhaling deeply, he goes to a terminal. “Hoofer to bridge, our guest is awake and a tad cranky. Any idea on how to deal with the sudden infestation we have, or how to get Gem back?” He studies the screen over Regina’s bed. “We’re trying the methods of before, but the implants are fighting back.” 

“Not a clue yet,” Raven replies. “Don’t let her touch you and you should be okay.” 

* * *

Meanwhile in Engineering, Emerald is busy fighting off a bunch of drones. Her hair is standing out in all directions as she fires off every magical blast she can create, changing up the types of spells she uses in the hopes of preventing adaptation. A drone comes up from behind and grabs her, but she punches him in the face and kicks him into a wall, Applejack-style. 

“Emerald, I have an idea,” says Milo, one of the other engineers. 

“Whatcha got, Milo?” Emerald asks as she fights. 

“Well, why not reverse the polarity of the friendship cannon so that it works inside instead of out, then isolate its range to affect only Borg targets?” Milo suggests. 

Emerald thinks for a moment as she knocks two drone heads together. “Not a bad idea! Alright people, let’s cue the music and get to work!”

* * *

Picard and Dustin study the display in Dustin’s office for what seemed like the millionth time. “Simply incredible,” Dustin says, shaking his head. “For every implant we try to remove, a new one seems to appear.” 

Picard looks closer at the display, a graphical representation of Gem’s body. “They’re attacking every part of her but right here,” he says, indicating a spot clear of any nanoprobes. 

Dustin leans in. “That’s where the thaumatic glands are in Equestrians,” he says in reply. “Those glands channel the necessary energy from the body and turn it into...” He gets a flash of inspiration. “Magic...of course. They need to study it so they leave it alone, and in its natural state. But they forgot one simple thing.” 

Picard looks slightly confused. “And that is?” 

“Nutrition! We eat special foods, only found on Equestria, to replenish our thaumatic reserves, especially after spellcasting. So, while they wait for those reserves to rise, they keep her in Borg state everywhere else, which means no outside foodstuffs!” Dustin rises from his chair and heads to the door. “Pardon me, Captain, but I have some ponyberries to pick. Please let the commander know I may have a way to get the captain back.”

“Ponyberries?” Raven says in astonishment, when Picard informs her of Dustin’s plan. “That’s brilliant! I’ll kiss him when this is done!” Sonata glares at her. “With the Lieutenant’s permission, of course.” 

Down in Engineering, Emerald has rigged up a forcefield so she and the surviving members of her team can work. Data streams past her eyes as she and the others modify the OFC. After a while, she nods. “Good work, everybody.” She taps her badge. “Wave to Commander Shadow, we’ve got just the thing to cure our infestation problem. Including myself, we’ll need five more people down here. Can you bring them?” 

Raven smiled. “On our way.” She taped Sonata, Adagio, Twilight, and Sunset, and the five made their way to the turbolift.

* * *

“Before you begin,” Dustin said, passing out glasses of a dark-colored liquid, “I want you all to drink up. You’ve been using a lot of magic fighting off the drones on your own, so this ponyberry juice should give you the strength you need and quickly.” 

Riker took the pitcher and sniffed the contents. “Smells like ... raspberries,” he said, passing the pitcher to Picard. 

“They taste like a mix of raspberries and blackberries,” Dustin said, pouring the two officers a glass. “Very healthy, full of antioxidants, and for us Equestrian folk, a nice kick to the magic parts.” 

“Aren’t you joining us, Dustin—err, Doctor?” Sonata said, worried. Adagio snickered slightly at the slip-up. 

“I need to tend to our special patient,” Dustin replied with a smile. “But, for the rest of you – bottoms up, and godspeed!” He gathered the rest of the juice and departed Engineering. 

Raven raised her glass. “To our success!” she toasted before downing the juice, the rest following her lead. 

Emerald smiles. “All right folks, now that we’re all set... join hands! That means you two, too!” She points at Riker and Picard, who join hands with Raven, Sonata, Adagio, and herself. “Think about Gem,” she instructs. “She’s touched us all in some way, whether she supported us when we were down, ended a fight with some calm words, or helped us to be a part of something greater than ourselves. None of us would be here if it wasn’t for her. If we’re all a family on this ship, then she’s our mother.” Everyone rises into the air as the magic flows through the room, while the Equestrians pony up. The magic enters the cannon. “Ready, Milo?” 

“Ready, Em!” Milo shouts. 

“Fire orbital friendship cannon!” Emerald exclaims, and Milo presses the button. A rainbow wave flows throughout the ship, short-circuiting the Borg implants of the remaining drones and in the crew members who were partially assimilated, rendering the implants useless and freeing them from the hive mind. Emerald smiles. “That was AWESOME! Milo, you’ve earned yourself a promotion!” 

Milo blushes. “Just doing my job, Em.”

* * *

“I admit, you really gave us a run for our money this time,” Dustin said quietly, entering the space where Regina lay on the biobed. She had not attempted to escape, instead directing the drones to specific target areas on board the Endeavour. “And now, it’s time to get our captain back.” His fingers glowed as he approached Regina, and he touched them at the base of her neck. “So, tell me ... was this for study purposes, or because you knew that if she could recharge her magic, she could defeat you?” The glow intensified, transferring from Dustin’s fingers to Gem’s neck. 

“Study purposes, of course,” Regina replies coolly. “We learn and adapt. Even your magic will eventually succumb. Now that we know how it works, we can prepare ourselves. We’ll be back someday, Dustin Hoofer... for you, your ship, and your planet.” 

“Not if we have anything to say about it,” Dustin said flatly as a loud boom echoed through the ship. “Gem, it’s time to come home.” 

The rainbow wave washed over Sickbay at that moment, the combined force of Dustin’s recharging magic and the effects of the cannon driving Regina away and restoring a very distraught looking Gem in her place. 

“Just relax, Gem,” Dustin soothed as he used his magic to remove as much of the Borg hardware as he could, “you’re safe once again.” 

“Oh Dustin...” Gem mutters. “I’m glad to be home...” And she kisses him full on the lips.

* * *

_“Captain’s log, stardate 81034.7. I have been freed from the Borg collective and the implants have been successfully removed from my body. In addition, the Borg threat has been neutralized. An ingenious weapon of Emerald’s called the Orbital Friendship Cannon allowed the drones who infested our ship to be returned to their normal selves, and the same weapon was used again on the cubes that attacked us. It is not the end of the Borg, of course, but... definite progress has been made. The former drones now go to the planet Quinto, an uninhabited world in the Nimoy system to begin new lives.”_

“The last of the former drones have been beamed down to the planet, Captain,” Raven informs Gem, who is sitting in her ready room. 

Gem smiles. “That’s excellent news, sister... I’m sure they’re only too glad for a new lease on life. I know I am.” She rises and hugs her sister tight. “I really can’t express my gratitude enough... and I am very, very impressed with how well you handled things here in my absence.” 

Raven shrugged. “I was only the caretaker. There’s only one true captain of the Endeavour, and that’s you.” 

The door slid open and Dustin walked in, bearing a tray. “Oh good, you’re both here. No, please, don’t stop on my account...” He noticed the glares from Gem and Raven. “And I see things are once again back to normal,” he deadpanned. 

“And to what do we owe the pleasure, Doctor?” Raven asked. 

“I come in the name of medicine,” he declared, “and tasty pastry.” He set the tray down and uncovered it, revealing small squares of pastry with a hard icing on top. “I believe these were once called ‘pop tarts,’ and I’m having them baked on a semi-weekly basis by the kitchen staff.” He took one and motioned for Gem and Raven to do likewise. 

“Fascinating,” Gem comments, turning one over in her hand and then munching on it. “I like it! Very fruity.” 

“Ponyberry pop tarts, perhaps?” Raven says. “Yum! Much better than the replicator stuff.”

“Ponyberry filled, correct,” Dustin said, “a great way to start your day and recharge your magical reserves passively.” He walked over to Gem. “I also wanted to see how you were feeling and check your tracker.” He scanned Gem with his medical tricorder. “Once again, the tracker is working as normal. So, how do you feel today, Captain?” 

“Better,” Gem says, stretching her limbs then pouring herself a cup of tea. “The dreams have largely subsided, thanks to Sunset’s help. I think though...” She taps her chin. “It’s long past time I loosened up. I’m thinking a good, long session on the holodeck would help. Care to join?” 

Dustin grinned. “Sure, twist my arm even harder.” He glanced at his tricorder. “Let me upload this, get my daily butt-reaming from Starfleet Medical, and I’ll meet you down there. Usual deck, I take it?” 

Gem nods. “See you on the other side!” She and Raven exit and enter the turbolift while the ship flies off into the stars. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C: Gem continues the Shadow family tradition of being assimilated by the Borg in our version of the "Best of Both Worlds" two-parter from TNG. It also gives us the debut of Emerald's particular brand of Equestrian magic based weaponry.


	12. For Those About to Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby Rocket is a punk rocker waiting for her big break. When she and her band, the Dreamgirls, enter the studio to record their first album, they find themselves competing against three mysterious sirens with plans of their own.

It was a rainy night in Trottingham as Ruby's car pulled up into the parking lot of the recording studio. Her bandmates' cars were already there. She magically opened the door of her car, levitated over her umbrella, and opened it as she climbed out so it would keep her dry in the walk to the studio doors. 

"Heya Ruby," came a voice. It was Amethyst, the best friend she'd had since they first met at a bar in San Franciscolt. Ruby had light lavender fur and a purple and black striped mane and tail, with magenta eyes. "Ready to get going?" 

"Am I ever!" Ruby said excitedly, and held out some papers. "Check out these lyrics, babe! This album is gonna rock!" 

Amethyst scanned over the papers, occasionally giving an impressed nod. “These are pretty great, Rube. The rest of the band’s pretty pumped about the music, and with these lyrics this could be your best album yet!” She nods toward the studio. “They’re waiting for you inside.” 

"Awesome!" Ruby happily flicks her tail and enters the studio to find Topaz, Nebula, and Sapphire already waiting, just like Amethyst said. "Hey girls!" she says cheerfully. "Ready to rock and roll?" 

“Hmph. About time the star got here,” Nebula snarked. “Must be nice setting your own schedule, eh girls?” 

“Oh yeah,” Sapphire replied, “wish I could show up whenever I wanted, schedules be darned.” She rolled her eyes and looked annoyed. 

Topaz just shook her head. “I knew it was gonna happen sooner or later. We have ... a diva,” she said sadly, looking at Ruby. After a beat, the three walk over and hug Ruby tight. “Just bustin’, girl,” Topaz said as the others chuckled. “So, let’s start making musical history!” 

"Let's!" Ruby proclaims. "1, 2, 3, 4!" And the band plays on. Ruby sings her heart out and shreds during the guitar solo, watching her fingers fly across the fretboard. At the end of the song, she calls up to the engineer. "Good take?" 

Behind the engineer, a couple of visiting techs are applauding and smiling broadly. The engineer flicks the intercom switch on the panel. “It’ll do,” he deadpanned. “They seemed to really like it, though, so I think it might be a hit.” 

Ruby fistpumps. “Yes! First number one hit! Go us!” The band continues in this way for another few hours. At the end of the session, the engineer calls down, “Good work today, you five. We’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, and if you see a trio of female singers on your way out, can you tell them they’re up next?” 

Ruby nods. “You got it!” She begins packing away her things, humming to herself. “I feel good today, everyone! The best I’ve felt in years! Let’s celebrate!” 

The group heads toward the exit, where they run into [three females](https://derpibooru.org/958154?q=the+dazzlings%2C+anthro#) coming in. The apparent leader, with sunlight gold fur and a snarky smile looks over the band. “Oh goodie, the B-team has finished. Hopefully, they’ve cleaned the equipment for our solid gold performance.” She and the other two girls, one with light-blue fur and the other a purplish color. 

Ruby peers at them and adjusts her jacket, flicking her tail suspiciously. “The B-team? Excuse me? I’ll have you know we’re the A-team, Miss Golden Prissy Pants!” 

“I pity the fool who thinks we’re not very talented,” Amethyst adds. “What’s with the necklaces?” She reaches out to touch one of the red gems hanging around the necks of the three mares. 

Golden girl swats Amethyst’s hand away. “Ah-ah-ahhh, no touchy,” she chides, “they’re ... family heirlooms that we don’t want to get damaged.” 

Blue girl nudges Gold girl. “I don’t think they know of us, Dagi...” 

“Really? I thought everyone knew of us by now. No matter, I suppose some introductions are in order. I’m Adagio, this is Sonata,” she says, indicating the blue girl, “and this is Aria,” she continues, indicating the purple girl. “We’re known as the Dazzlings, and you will know us as the ones who are infinitely better than you will ever hope to be.” 

Topaz adjusts her glasses and sticks a stray curl behind one ear. “Oh yeah? Prove it.”

“Yeah, what she said!” agrees Nebula. “We demand you let us sit in on your session!” 

Adagio chuckles. “Oh, very well. Come on girls, let’s make believers out of them.” They all trooped into the studio, Ruby and her band occupying the booth with the Dazzlings warming up with some quick harmonic vocalizations. 

Topaz blinks. “Whoa, they’re really in tune ... almost perfect pitch.” 

“Okay, playback’s ready, and here we go,” the engineer announced. After a series of four electronic beeps, the music started and the Dazzlings began to [sing](https://youtu.be/sxFujBWQaB4). As they perform, everyone from the offices and surrounding studios gathers to listen over the monitors, seemingly hypnotized. 

“Why aren’t we drooling over them?” Ruby wonders. “I just feel jealous instead!" 

The song ends and everyone, minus the Rubies, burst into thunderous applause. Adagio simply laughs with a malicious tone. “And that, dear girl, is why we’re stars, and you will never be.” She turns to Aria and Sonata. “Let’s take a break while we wait for the musicians to arrive.” The three walk past the seething Rubies, sinister grins across their faces. 

“I suppose you realize this means war!” Sapphire shouts. “Let’s go to my place, girls! We need to plan!” The five nod and head toward the exit to their respective cars. 

Meanwhile, Aria inspects her fuzzy purple coat with distaste. “How much longer are we going to be stuck like this, Adagio?” she asks. “I want to feel the water on my scales again! To swim with the fish for as long as I want!” 

“Patience, sister,” Adagio soothes, rubbing Aria’s shoulder. “We are almost at the point where we can cast aside these forms and become our true selves again. Once this next album is released, our domination of this puny world will be complete.” She begins to laugh evilly. 

The other two join in until Sonata gasps. “Girls! They have tacos!” She runs off to the cafeteria in a blue blur.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby is sitting on Sapphire’s sofa with a soda in one hand and a container of hay fries in the other. “We need to really work our tails off on that record, girls,” she says. “We can’t let the Sparklers, or whatever they’re called, beat us to the punch!” 

“But what makes their music so special?” Topaz asked. “It didn’t sound all that special to me, a simple beat and synthesized effects.” 

“The lyrics didn’t sound all too different and powerful,” Nebula added. “Nothing more than your average teenage high-school girl could write to her sweetheart if she so desired.” 

“Did you girls notice anything about those necklaces they wore?” Sapphire asked. “Maybe it was the light in the studio, but when they were singing, they seemed to ... well, glow.” 

Amethyst nods. “That’s what I saw too. That must be it!” She gets a devious grin on her face. “We can make fake necklaces and swap the real ones with those, then watch what happens!” 

“It would help if we knew where they lived first,” Ruby pointed out. “I like your plan though.” Amethyst’s grin falls. “Oh yeah ... I suppose that would help.”

“Think they’re in the phone book?” Sapphire asked.

“The what?” Amethyst and Topaz replied in unison. 

Ruby sighed. “I’ll look on my phone.” She taps the screen a few times, then nods. “According to this, they live at 108 Bowie Road. Let’s go get those fakes made!”

* * *

After leaving the jeweler, the four walked along the road, marveling at the opulence of the buildings. “They’re really dressed up on the outside, aren’t they?” Topaz remarked. 

“Good way to attract potential tenants, I suppose,” Sapphire said. 

“Okay, here’s Stardust Way,” Amethyst said, “so their building should be about halfway up the block from here.” 

“You sure about this plan, Rube?” Topaz asked. “I mean, it’s not like they’re just gonna invite us in and let us swap their stones.” 

Ruby shrugs. “Yeah, I guess not. If it comes to that, we’ll have to break in.” She taps her horn, making it spark. “Lucky for us, I aced magic school as a filly.” They walk for a little longer, until finally, Ruby points. “There they are! Someone go peek inside and see if they’re home!” 

Sapphire sneaks up to the window and looks inside. She goes back and nods. “They’re there all right. Looks like they’re getting ready for bed.” 

Ruby nods. “We’ll wait until they’re asleep and sneak in that way!” She casts a silencing spell on herself and the others so their hoofsteps won’t make noise. 

Before long, all of the lights in the front of the house go dark. Lights in the back flick off one by one. 

“I think this is it,” Amethyst whispers. “Going in the front door, Rube?” 

“That’s the plan,” Ruby says, magicing the front door open. She slips inside with the fake gems in hand, sneaking off toward the back, following the sounds of snoring. She starts with Sonata’s room first. 

Sonata snoozes away, a smile plastered upon her face, mumbling something about a world of tacos. She rolls over, back toward the door where the Rubies have gathered, and settles down. Her necklace sits on the nightstand by her bed. 

Ruby grabs the real necklace and slips it into her pocket then replaces it with the fake one. She continues in this way until the rest of the necklaces have been switched, then follows her friends out of the house and down the street. She takes out one and stares at it in the moonlight. “Whoa... I feel some serious power coming from this thing... wonder what would happen if I put it on?” 

“Let’s take it home and try it out,” Topaz says nervously, “just in case something bad happens. Last thing we want is to get caught out here.” 

Back at Ruby’s house, Topaz, Ruby, and Sapphire each held a necklace in their hands. “Okay, Amethyst, you know what to do. Should anything go wrong, you aret o get these things off of us as quick as you can. Got it?” 

Amethyst nodded. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t turn you all into rampaging she-demons, no offense to the she-demons of course.” 

A ghostly voice whispered, “None taken…..”

Ruby nods and puts on the necklace. Immediately, she feels a strange, unearthly power surging through her body. Thoughtfully she tries to sing, and it’s note perfect. “I feel weird...” she reports. “Like I could do anything! But also hungry... hungry for emotions!” 

“Yeah ... but not just any emotions ... negative ones!” Topaz replies. She perks an ear. “Is that your neighbors fighting again?” she asks, hearing noise from outside. 

As she says this, a green mist flows along the floor, tendrils snaking up toward each of the gemstones. “Whoa,” Sapphire says as the first wave of emotion hits, “this is a rush!” 

“Let’s try some simple scales,” Ruby suggests. The three harmonize a series of ascending scales, then work their way back down again. Topaz looks over to Amethyst and sops, shocked. “Check her out,” she says quietly. 

Amethyst is silent, her eyes half-open, a blank expression over he face. Her mouth is slightly opened and she doesn’t move. 

Amethyst eeps and jumps, looking at the concerned faces. “Y-you were singing, and it sounded so good, and then ... then somepony pulled my tail. What happened?” 

“No wonder everyone’s so enthralled with their singing ... their voices hypnotize their audience!” Sapphire exclaimed. 

"I bet those Dazzlings sound terrible when they don't have their necklaces," Ruby says. "What should we do with these? Destroy them? I mean, I wanna be a rock star, but I don't want to lie to ponies about how good I am!" 

“No, I have a better idea...” Sapphire said with a wicked grin. She huddled the other girls together and whispered the plan.

* * *

Backstage, the Dazzlings made their final adjustments to their outfits. Adagio spotted Ruby and her friends standing nearby, all with smiles on their faces. “So, come to receive your final defeat?” she sneered. 

“Actually, we wanted to come and see how a true professional puts on a show,” Ruby deadpanned. The others nodded in agreement. 

“Prepare to be blown away,” Aria said smugly as the three walked out on stage. The lights went down, spotlights lit up the three girls, and they began to sing. They looked at each other, not understanding what was going wrong. The crowd stared at them in disbelief, then started booing loudly. 

The Rubies laugh uproariously, then take the stage next, singing their own song. Energy flows into the necklaces as they sing, giving them more power than they'd ever had before. They begin to transform, growing dragon wings, ears, and tails. 

A look of recognition washes over Adagio, followed quickly by anger. "You!" she snarled. "You stole our gemstones! How dare you attempt to harness our powers?" She is quickly joined by Aria and Sonata. "Do you have any idea of what you're doing?" Adagio hissed. 

"Revealing you to be frauds," Ruby announces, flying around in lazy circles. "Everything else is a bonus!" She grins at Adagio, showing fangs. "Besides, you can't really stop us now, can you?" 

Adagio looks like she wants to scream, but slumps her shoulders in defeat. “No ... even we can’t stop you when you have the power.” 

Ruby nods, then takes off the necklace, smashing it with her guitar. She signals for the others to do the same. "Music is only fun when you can work at it properly! Right girls?" 

The other girls smash the necklaces, shattering the gemstones. “Nooooo!” Sonata cries, “we can’t sing without them! What are we going to do now?” 

“Learn to sing properly,” Ruby says, giving them a smile. “We’ll teach you! In fact... you’re now honorary members of Ruby and the Dream Girls!” 

“But ... we’ve never sung without our gems. And you heard how we sound without them,” Aria protested. 

Ruby sighs. “Listen you three, it’ll be okay! We’ll teach you. And when we’re done, you’ll be able to sing better than ever!” 

The three huddled together and talked in hushed tones. Finally, Adagio nodded. “Okay ... so tell us, what are we going to sing?” 

Sonata looked especially anxious. “You’re really sure we can do this?” she asked. 

Ruby nods at Sonata. “Absolutely. You’ve just gotta believe in yourself! As for what you’ll sing... well, we’ll work on that!” She looks behind her. “Meet up at my place, girls!” The other five nod, and the eight ponies head off into the night. 

* * *

“Computer, end program,” Gem says. The scene fades away to be replaced by the yellow-on- black grid of the holodeck, and Gem returns to her proper form. She smiles. “Ahhhh... that’s just what I needed!” 

 _"Captain’s log, stardate 81081.2. I am finally at peace after spending a whole month in various states of stress. Who would’ve thought that all I needed was a little rock and roll?”_  Gem steps through the turbolift doors and onto the bridge, making herself comfortable in the center seat, looking completely relaxed. The Endeavour, meanwhile, continues her journey. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C: Gem gets a well-deserved break after going through merry hell in the last couple entries. If you’re wondering why it is the anthro pony characters she and the others play as are specifically described as having four fingers, it’s because my mental picture of them is very much inspired by the work of MustLoveFrogs, specifically this picture: http://bit.ly/2kby6ng


	13. Renaissance of the Changelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the season finale, a loyal crew member of the Endeavour reveals that they are actually a changeling, and takes over the ship. Gem's crew is captured by a resurrected Queen Chrysalis, and the Federation headquarters finds itself under siege.

_"Captain's log, stardate 81469.4. I have organized a meeting of the entire crew today to mark the one-year anniversary of our travels."_

About a hundred people gathered in Ten Forward, all of them in standard duty uniforms. Most of the crowd were human, save for Lieutenant K'bleh, the Klingon deputy security chief, and T'paz, the Vulcan second-in-command of the science department, and of course, the nine Equestrians that made up the command staff, and who sat at the largest table. The room was filled with babbling voices, but as Gem stood up, the crowd quieted automatically. 

Gem began to speak: "Family, friends, beloved crew mates! Today is a momentous day for us! It was on this day one year ago that this ship took off from the fleet yards of San Francisco and began a series of new adventures! I stand before you today as a captain with a year's worth of experience under her belt, but I would not be here were it not for all of you!" 

As the room applauded, Gem’s smile widened. “I will need each and every one of you to... bow before the might of Queen Chrysalis!” Her form was wrapped in green fire for a few moments, then all of a sudden, a male humanoid with dark grey skin, hole-filled limbs and horn, and insect wings sprouting from his back stood where Gem had. Using his magic, Milo Iscariot quickly filled the room with green goo, trapping the other crew members where they stood. Eight other changelings revealed themselves to be disguised as the other members of the senior staff. 

Lieutenant K’bleh snarled. “What trickery is this?!” she shouted. “Where is the captain and her staff?” 

“Oh, they’re a little tied up at the moment,” Milo smirked, adjusting the hem of his Romulan empire uniform. “Drones, go to the bridge and set a course for New Romulus. We’ll deliver these creatures to Queen Chrysalis once we arrive.” The drones salute and file out of Ten Forward to begin their appointed tasks. 

Milo walked over and stroked K'bleh's cheek with his fingertips, smiling darkly. "At long last, my race shall have its revenge... Today, Gemini Shadow dies."

* * *

_"Captain's log, stardate 81469.0: We are en route to Starbase 421, which has sent out a distress call to any Federation ship within the area. We believe they are under a threat of some sort, though further information is not yet known at this time."_

“Estimated arrival at Starbase 421 is three hours at current velocity, Captain,” Lieutenant Sonata Dusk stated from her station. 

“Sensors show no other vessels in the area,” Lieutenant Aria Blaze reported. 

“All systems show ready, phasers and photon torpedos on standby. Special weapons show ready, if necessary,” added Lieutenant Commander Adagio Dazzle. 

Commander Raven Shadow turned to Gem. “I just wish I knew what we were heading in to. The message itself seemed almost vague, with no real urgency.” 

“I couldn’t agree more,” Gem replied, looking concerned. “I’ve had this sinking feeling ever since it came through. I can’t shake it.” She looks over at Sunset, who is sitting in her usual seat. “Any theories on what we could be heading into? If they want our help so badly, why would their message sound so... odd?” 

Sunset shook her head. “It’s puzzling to me too, Captain. The sender could be under some form of mind-controlling substance, compelling them to send the distress call; it could be a computer-generated message, using audio of the sender’s voice arranged into that form; or we could be about to spring a trap of some sort. I would urge extreme caution upon our approach.” 

“Agreed,” Gem says. “Ladies, strengthen your mental defenses as best you can, and be prepared to use defensive spells in case of an ambush.” The rest of the crew all chorus “Aye, ma’am.”

* * *

Three hours later, the Endeavour has arrived at Starbase 421. All seems calm, a little too calm even. Gem frowns as she watches the base come in on the main viewscreen. “Sunset, I think you’re right... this looks like a trap.” 

“Starbase 421, this is USS Endeavour requesting permission to dock,” Sonata says from her station. “Do you copy?” 

Silence was the only reply. 

“Sensors are detecting life signs, Captain,” Twilight said, studying her scanner. “They appear humanoid in nature, but ...” 

“’But?’” Raven asked. 

“All readings are perfect. Classic textbook examples of humanoid vital signs.” 

Gem looked puzzled. “Is there a malfunction in your station, Commander?” 

Twilight shook her head. “Negative. I’ve run Level Four diagnostics on all systems, all show normal. Sensors were recalibrated only two days ago.” 

Gem frowned some more. “Something about that sounds familiar... but...” Then it comes to her in a flash. “Milo’s vital signs were perfect too... like a textbook.” She rises and begins to pace around in a circle. “Question: Why would an entire space station have life signs out of a biology textbook? Conjecture: Because they aren’t human at all, and they need to create a disguise to fool us. Now... what species do we know of that are capable of such things?” 

The turbolift doors slid open to reveal Milo, along with seven other crewmembers, all holding phasers. “The only true species, Captain Shadow,” he spat. Green fire erupted from the crewmembers, all of them reverting to humanoid versions of the changeling race. They wore Romulan uniforms. “You ponies thought you eradicated us, reformed us into model Equestrian citizens. Your father even killed our beloved queen ... and it was because of that her dear son, Onyx, swore revenge upon you filthy ponies!” The bridge crew were encased in green goo, and sealed in pods, leaving their heads exposed. “Hangar bay 2 has been converted for our use, take them there,” Milo directed the other changelings, who nodded and began transporting the cocoons to the turbolift. “And be quick about it ... we have a party to attend.” With a flash of green flame, Milo converted his appearance into that of Captain Gemini Shadow. He laughed loudly. 

* * *

“Endeavour to starbase ... the ship is ours,” Milo/Gem called from Ten Forward, snickering at the plight of the Federation crew, all sealed in green goo. 

“Excellent,” a voice replied. “Maintain orbit and await further orders. Our revenge is almost complete. Hail Chrysalis!”

* * *

The pods containing the senior staff, Dustin included, are brought down into one section of the starbase while the pods containing the junior members of the crew are brought into another section. Emerald was crying as she glared at Milo, betrayal evident on her face. “... How could you, Milo?” she asked. “You were gonna be my second in command! You’re a genius! If it wasn’t for you, the Borg would’ve assimilated us a long time ago!” 

“Oh, come now,” Milo cooed, “do you really think I was going to let an inferior race like the Borg take my queen’s prize away?” He stroked Emerald’s cheek. “Besides, I don’t need to be second in command ... I was promised the Endeavour as a gift for bringing you all to our beloved queen. As of now ... I run that ship!” 

“The hell you do,” Emerald snarled. “We’ll get her back, just you wait!” 

“Sir, she’s coming,” says one of the other drones, running over to Milo’s side. “She says she wants to speak to the pony captain before draining her of love.” 

Milo turned to Gem and grinned an evil grin. “Check and mate, captain. Or, should I say ... dinner?” He walked off laughing with the other drone, and began issuing instructions. 

Aria turned to Dustin. “Well? No pithy comments or snarky rejoinders this time?” she sneered. 

Dustin looked sadly at Sonata. “No ... there’s nothing remotely funny about this. And no way I can make it funny, either.” 

Aria looked down at the floor. “Sorry, Dustin ... I didn’t mean--” 

“It’s all right, Aria,” Dustin said, managing a sad smile. “But just know, if we make it through this, I will be extracting some revenge. Okay?” 

Aria smiled too. “You got it.” 

The doors opened and in walked Queen Chrysalis, taking human form. She strode over toward the captured command staff, approaching Gem directly. “I’ll bet you’re surprised to see me, daughter of Orion Shadow. It’s amazing what cloning technology can do these days, isn’t it?” 

“Very surprised,” Gem informs Chrysalis. “I didn’t know you were cloned too... would you care to enlighten me?” 

Chrysalis nodded. “Many years ago, our species encountered the Romulans... one of the team working on the project that created you defected to the Romulans and cloned me from a few strands of my grandmother’s mane. I was born around the same time you were, and Milo there was sent aboard your ship to gain your trust, only to betray you when the time was right. I’d say it worked perfectly, wouldn’t you?” 

“But WHY?!” Raven shouted. “Our father is dead already! Isn’t that enough for you?! What could you possibly- want now?!” 

With a flash of green fire, Gem found herself face to face with her father – if her father was a changeling. “Why, simple vengeance of course. Your father killed my grandmother, and now I must kill his closest living blood relative, namely, you.” ‘He’ strolled over and nuzzled Gem. “I know this must seem strange and all, but the cold fact of the matter is, I enjoy playing with my food. It’s something I always did as a nymph.” Another flash, and Chrysalis returned to human form. “And with the combination of human and pony technology aboard your – sorry, my – ship, the changeling race shall once again take their role as the dominant species in the universe!” 

“You are not taking the Endeavour,” Gem hissed, narrowing her eyes. “I will not allow it!” 

“What you will allow is irrelevant, my dear,” Chrysalis says, stroking Gem’s cheek with her fingers. “Besides, we already have. We’ll be stripping it of any Federation markings, of course, but otherwise, she’s fine as she is. As for the crew... well, we don’t -need- the menagerie you’ve put together. We’ll drain them and put them to work as slaves, just like their former commanding officers. My changelings will fill their roles aboard the ship instead. Now, be silent! I’m absolutely famished, Gemini... I’m going to enjoy draining you of your love.” 

Before Gem could react, Chrysalis’ hands started to glow bright green as she placed them on the top of Gem’s head. Green mist floated from Gem’s body, and she screamed in agony as her very life force was slowly taken from her.

* * *

Gem’s scream reached the room where the support staff of the Endeavour was being held. K’bleh furiously struggled against the bonds of the changeling goo. “They’re torturing the captain! I will feast upon the blood of these dishonorable creatures!!” 

T’paz, held next to K’bleh, looked at her with typical Vulcan stoicism. “Escaping from these bonds will be impossible. If we could, I’m sure you would have been able to by now and this entire scenario would not be taking place.” 

K’bleh stopped struggling and leveled a stare at T’paz. “Nothing is impossible! And unlike you, I will continue to fight until I am once again free!”

* * *

Meanwhile, a familiar voice exclaims “CEASE THY MACHINATIONS AT ONCE!” in what is unmistakably the Royal Canterlot Voice. A purple beam of magic blows apart the doorway of the torture chamber and in flies Princess Luna, until a short burst of purple flame reveals her to be a changeling queen with purple hair, wings, and carapace. 

Chrysalis is so surprised that she lets Gem go, giving the new queen the moment she needs to knock Chrysalis and her drones out with another burst of purple magic. Working quickly, a small group of changeling drones with a similar color scheme begin freeing the Equestrians from their cocoons. 

The new queen smiles and lays a holey hoof on Gem’s head. “Be at peace, Lady Shadow... you are in no danger from myself, nor my drones. I am Calyx, Queen of the Changeling Resistance and the elder Chrysalis’ older sister. It seems her clone is cut from the same cloth she was.” 

Raven looks confused, as do the rest of the command staff. “Wait ... you mean to tell us you’re related to ... to her?” She points to the prone form of Chrysalis, who is being secured by Calyx’s drones. “And yet, we’re suppose to trust you? I think this is all a trick, just to confuse us!” 

“It is no trick, I can assure you,” Calyx replies. “The Resistance was formed when Onyx began working with the Romulan Star Empire, in case he tried to take the drones who had escaped to Equestria back to changeling territory. Initially, it was spearheaded by your father’s assistant, Steno Pad, but he chose me as his successor after Onyx found my hive in the Unicorn Range and had us... shall we say, fumigated, and helped us to escape.” She smiled. “Mr. Pad now serves as my advisor. Would you like to speak with him?” 

Gem nods enthusiastically. “Yes, yes I would like to speak with him! It’s been far too long!” 

Steno steps forward and is immediately hugged tightly by Gem, Raven, and Sunset. “Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you girls!” Steno said happily. “And manifesting your father’s adventurous spirit, I see. I know he’s proud of you, wherever he happens to be now...” 

Gem smiles and kisses Steno on the cheek. “We missed you too,” she informs him. “What have you been up to? Is everything okay back home? Is there another takeover going on? And what are we going to do about Chrysalis and the Romulans?” 

“I haven’t been home since before the Romulan attack on Equestria,” Steno says sadly, “but I did hear about the sacrifices made that day. We’ve been infiltrating Chrysalis’s drone army, and have learned that they plan to sweep through the galaxy and eventually overtake all of Federation space. They’re being assisted by the Romulans, who have their own reasons for conquest and domination. That much you probably already know.” 

“Yeah, we kinda got the general idea of that,” Dustin said with a smirk. Sonata shushed him with a small kiss and an admonishment to behave. 

“But, what you don’t know, and what we have only recently learned,” Steno continued, “is that changeling infiltrators have already been dispatched to assume roles in the highest levels of the Federation. Once successful there, they plan to branch out, eventually taking over governments throughout the galaxy.” 

Gem’s jaw dropped. “That’s terrible news!” She quickly informs Steno of her problems with Brown and company. “You don’t think they could be drones in disguise, do you?” 

Calyx shakes her head. “I doubt it very much. According to our intelligence, Mr. Brown has long been an accomplice of the Romulans and changelings. After all, his first officer is responsible for the humanoid forms of our race you saw earlier.” 

Gem sighed. “I was afraid of that... even so, can’t we warn anyone of what the infiltrators are doing?” 

Steno’s tone changed dramatically. “We have absolutely no idea of who we can trust in Starfleet, or in the governing body of the Federation, anymore. Chrysalis’s agents have gone so deep even we have lost track of them.” 

“Then, how are we to discover who’s a changeling and who isn’t?” Adagio asked. 

Dustin perked up. “Steno, Calyx ... am I to assume that the changelings all studied basic physiology from one certain medical textbook?” 

Calyx nodded. “There was only one book available, and that was the basic guide from Starfleet Medical.” 

Dustin grinned. “Then, we got ‘em! It’ll take some re-programming of the medical tricorders but once it’s done, we’ll have a handy set of changeling detectors at our disposal. Calyx, if you used those texts as well, I would recommend you make some small adjustments. We can program to look for those as well, so we know friend from foe.” 

Calyx nods. “I shall send word to my drones out in the field, Dr. Hoofer. In the meantime,” she turned back to Gem, “I do believe you have a ship to recapture.” One of the drones enters the room and says, “All remaining crewmembers of the Endeavour have been freed, my queen.” 

Calyx smiles. “That’s wonderful news! We are to return to Earth at once, so that we may begin Operation Authentic Cadence.” 

Steno chuckles. “She does like her codenames.” 

Dustin’s expression remained neutral. “If she thinks I’m shaking my ass in front of a princess without alcohol being involved, she’s crazy. Steno, talk to me once we have control of the ship and I’ll get you the vital sign parameters to use for your operatives.” 

The support crew enters the room, led by T’paz and K’bleh. “Where is that Milo?” K’bleh demanded. “I will eat his innards for breakfast with my prune juice! I will make a frittata out of his grey matter! I will--” 

Adagio placed a hand on K’bleh’s shoulder. “We’re fine, Lieutenant, and right now, we have a job to do. We must regain control of the ship. Are you ready to serve your captain with honor?” 

K’bleh grinned. “I’ve been ready since they cut me from that pod.” 

Gem nods, and takes out her phaser. “That’s the spirit, Lieutenant. Friends... let’s get our home back.”

* * *

_“Captain’s log, supplemental: after a fierce battle between my crew and the humanoid changelings of the cloned Queen Chrysalis, we have returned to the Endeavour and are now on our way to Earth. Mr. Iscariot has been quarantined in the brig in the meantime, unable to transform courtesy of a nullification spell placed there by Commander Sparkle. I find myself conflicted surrounding him: on one hand, during his brief time with us he proved himself to be capable of great ingenuity, but on the other... he has committed acts of aggression against the Crown, my family, and the Federation, and there are some crimes that even I cannot forgive.”_  

Gem walks the hallways of the ship, visibly unhappy. She passes a picture of Orion hung up on one wall and sighs, running a finger along the frame. 

Dustin approaches Gem, slipping into step alongside her. “Ah, there you are. You are the last member of the command staff due for a checkup after our little adventure. Why don’t we walk to sickbay together and you tell me what’s on your mind?” 

“Where do I start?” Gem asks as she and Dustin head back toward sickbay. “I suppose I should thank you for telling me about Milo when you did. It proved to be very helpful earlier today. However...” She sighs. “You know how close I am with the crew. I feel as if, with Milo’s betrayal, that we have lost one of our own... and I don’t know how to handle it.” 

Dustin nodded. “Gem, you heard it straight from Milo himself earlier. His only purpose was to infiltrate the ship and deliver you, alive, to his queen. Anything else was just a way to fulfill that duty.” He kicked his foot at the decking as he walked. “I know you like to treat the crew as family. And, in a way, the crew is an extension of your family. A whole shipful of brothers and sisters, working together, sharing the highs and lows of our adventures. But, one thing to remember is, every family has a black sheep somewhere. Turns out in this case it was Milo. Gem, you give so much of yourself to this crew, and I don’t want you to stop doing that because of one bad seed.” 

Gem looks scandalized, “Of course I won’t, Dustin! If anything else, I’ll hold them even closer to me. If you can’t trust the people you love, you can’t really trust anyone.” As they enter sickbay, she remembers something else Dustin had said earlier. “I was not aware until today that there were moments where you find yourself unable to crack a joke. Dare I wonder what the others are?” 

Dustin stopped, and turned to face Gem. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he said softly, “Gem, the only moments in my life where I wasn’t able to find anything remotely humorous about anything were events that dealt with death and dying, either by someone close to me or my possibly imminent demise. So, remember that if I ever stop with the wisecracks about the situation we’re in, we are good and truly hosed, as I see the situation. And I never treat anyone’s death with anything less than the dignity and respect they deserve.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Gem says, giving him a hug. 

Dustin readily returns the hug. “Now then,” he says pointing to the changing room, “you know the drill. Exam One when you’re ready.” He smiles and goes to his office.

* * *

“Approaching the outer limits of the Sol system, Captain,” Aria announced. 

“Reducing speed to three-quarter impulse,” Sonata added.

“Very good,” Gem says. “Captain to Hoofer, are those detectors ready?” 

“Commander Wave and I are finishing up now. We should have all of the tricorders updated by the time we reach Earth,” Dustin said to the intercom. 

“We’ve also put in the information about Calyx’s agents, so we shouldn’t get any false readings,” Emerald added. 

“Suggestions on what to do once they are discovered?” Gem asks, turning to Raven. “It would be very easy to fire the Friendship Cannon and expose them to all and sundry, but that would also have, shall we say, unintended consequences.” 

“Perhaps we shouldn’t tip our hand just yet,” Raven suggested. “The infiltrators may know we got out of their trap at Starbase 421, but they don’t know we know about their other plans.” 

“USS Endeavour from Starfleet, welcome back. You are cleared for berth 37 in dock 6, please begin following docking protocols.” 

“Endeavour acknowledges, reducing speed and initiating docking protocols,” Sonata replied, tapping commands on her workstation. 

“Into the viper’s den,” Raven said quietly to Gem. 

“I was going to say lion’s den, but if you like,” Gem says. “Miss Wave, engage the detectors as soon as you are able, but don’t tip them off that we know until we can deal with them properly.” 

“The devices are operating in passive mode, Captain,” Emerald said, “and if they detect anything unusual, they’ll vibrate gently to warn you. The data saves for later so we can review it once we’re in a safe location. Also good for crowds, as it marks each anomaly based on comm badge signature or general appearance.” 

“Vipers are cooler anyway,” Raven said, sticking her tongue out playfully at Gem.

* * *

Gem, Twilight, and Dustin stood on the transporter pads. “Twilight and I will check out Starfleet headquarters, and hopefully I can speak to Captain Picard. I know he’ll help us once we show him the proof. Dustin, do you really think Starfleet Medical has been infiltrated?” 

“It would be the next logical step,” Dustin said, “and would give them a more complete access to better impersonate their next targets.” He grins. “And, if it turns out they haven’t been infiltrated yet, the brass might appreciate the chance to chew me out in person for a change.” 

“Be careful down there, you three,” Raven said from the transporter control panel. 

Dustin rolled his eyes. “We’ll be fine, Ma, I promise. And if anything happens to Gem, I’ll know instantly.” He pats the second device on his belt. “She won’t go far with whoever takes her.” 

Raven seemed to relax a bit at this. “Good luck,” she says solemnly. 

Gem nods, and straightens up. “Energize.” 

* * *

Materializing on the pad at Starfleet headquarters, the three stepped off and headed for the door. “We’ll rendezvous at the Officer’s Club in four hours,” Gem said, setting her pocketwatch, an heirloom from her father. “Miss Sparkle, you’re with me. Good luck, Doctor.” 

“And to you two as well. See you soon.” Dustin moves down the corridor toward the offices of Starfleet Medical. 

“Captain, I was just thinking,” Twilight said as she and Gem roamed the halls, “Would it not make sense for the changelings to assume Picard’s form as well, given his status as captain, diplomat, and former ambassador to Vulcan?” 

“It does seem logical, I’ll grant you,” Gem agrees. “Maybe we should come up with a question for him to answer, one that only the real Picard would know, intimate knowledge that wouldn’t appear in his official biography. Such as, for example, what he said to me the night we graduated from the Academy.” 

“Good plan,” Twilight agreed. As they walked, they were approached by a high-ranking officer. Both Gem and Twilight saluted as the officer approached. 

“Stand at ease,” the officer said. He had the insignia of a rear admiral on his collar. “I don’t recall seeing you two around here before. Just in from deployment, are you?” 

“Yes sir. Lieutenant Commander Twilight Sparkle, and this is Captain Gemini Shadow, USS Endeavour,” Twilight said sharply. 

“Ah yes, I’ve heard about that ship. Quite a ride you’ve had so far, eh? I am Admiral Fensler, I work in supplies and procurement. Not quite as exciting as scooting around the galaxy, I can assure you.” He smiled brightly. 

Under Gem’s captain’s coat, her tricorder buzzed slightly. 

“Pleased to meet you, Admiral,” Gem says, smiling too, though she’s very aware of the buzzer. “Supplies and procurement, you say? What does that involve?” She does her best to look legitimately curious. 

“Oh, very boring stuff, really. Ordering new and replacement equipment for starships and personnel, outfitting crews for special missions, and of course all of the paperwork that goes along with it.” 

“I’m sure that presents it’s own set of challenges, sir,” Twilight said politely. “Um, Captain, we must keep moving if we’re going to make that meeting on time...” 

“Yes, of course!” Gem nods. “Best of luck, Admiral. Be well!” She salutes again, and the two scoot off. Once out of earshot, Gem sighs. “I was so hoping he’d spill a few beans... oh well.” 

Twilight checks her tricorder. “Yup, one of Chrysalis’s. With this information, plus the data we collected from the Endeavour, we should have no problem convincing Captain Picard of the seriousness of this situation.” 

“We just have to find him first,” Gem says. “If we were on the Enterprise, I would suggest checking his ready room... maybe he has an office?” 

“Let me check something,” Twilight says, going to a nearby computer terminal. She taps a few commands and studies the display. “We’re in luck. The Enterprise is in berth 24, dock 7. Captain Picard is still on board, according to the status board. We can contact him on a private channel from the communications station down the hall.” She points to a room on the display. 

Gem laughs. “Ah, but of course... let us be off, then.” And the two move off to the communications station. Once they’re in contact, Gem speaks: “Captain Picard, before we begin I’m going to ask you a very important question: what did you tell me after my class’ graduation ceremonies in 2401?” 

Picard is taken aback by this question, but sensing the urgency in Gem’s voice, he smiles. “I told you, that once you step onto that bridge as the captain, you will become the surrogate parent of everyone aboard that vessel. You will experience good times, bad times, thrilling victories, and at times crushing defeats. But above everything else, no matter the circumstance, you will have a crew that will do anything for you provided you do your best to return that sentiment. Always have time for every crewmember, from the lowliest custodian to your first officer. Listen to them, learn from them, and let them learn from you. Grow together, and you will never grow apart.” 

Gem breathes a sigh of relief, “Thank Celestia, it’s you... now, allow us to explain what’s been going on...” Once Picard has been briefed on the situation, she finishes with “And that’s what we’re doing now. Dustin is checking Medical, and Twilight and I are here. So far we’ve only found the one drone, but there are definitely more... I’m grateful that you aren’t one of them." 

“I’m glad you brought this to my attention,” Picard said, visibly worried. “Mention the word ‘changeling’ to the average Starfleet officer and they’d think of the Founders race from the other side of the wormhole in the Gamma Quadrant. We had no idea there was another type of changeling race, nor that they were aligning with the Romulans. Is there a way we can detect them?” 

Gem nods. “Dustin and Emerald have developed updated tricorders specifically calibrated to a particular trait of Chrysalis’ changelings: their absolutely perfect vital signs. They vibrate slightly when in the presence of one.” Neither girl has noticed the door slowly opening as a shadowed figure comes up from behind. Twilight jumps as her tricorder begins vibrating, but before she can warn Gem, the two are knocked out via Vulcan nerve pinch. The shadowed figure smiles at Picard and says, “Congratulations Captain, you are the last human to see these two alive. We will track down and destroy these other tricorders, and our conquest of the Federation will be complete.” Then the three disappear in a shimmer of green magic. 

* * *

Dustin strides briskly out of the offices of Starfleet Medical, intent on keeping his meeting with Gem and Twilight. He found three changelings in the office: one of Chrysalis’s and two of Calyx’s. As he was heading down the corridor toward the Officer’s Club, he heard a beeping noise. His eyes widened and he glanced down at his belt. Sure enough, the beacon had activated. He tapped his comm badge. “Hoofer to Endeavour, emergency! The Captain is in trouble! Request emergency transport!” 

“We know, Doctor, Captain Picard just alerted us. Stand by for transport,” Raven’s voice, controlled but with a slight sense of panic, said through his badge. Within moments, he dissolved into a shower of sparks and was gone.

* * *

Dustin stood with Adagio at the tactical station on the bridge. “The ship’s sensors have more power and can give us more range to track whomever took the captain and Miss Sparkle.” He paused. “Okay, we already know whom, so let’s try to find out where.” 

After using the beacon to lock onto Gem’s signature, Adagio taps at her workstation several times. “It looks like they’re being taken into a small scout ship... kidnapping, it seems. If we hurry we can catch them and attempt a rescue.” 

“In that case,” Raven said, “Miss Dusk, cast off moorings and prepare to take us out.” 

“Aye, ma’am,” Sonata replied, tapping her console. She frowned and tapped again. “Commander, we can’t release the docking moorings. We’re being held fast.” 

“Endeavour to space dock,” Raven said in her command voice, “release our moorings and clear us for emergency departure, Priority Alpha.” 

Adagio shook her head. “No response.” 

Raven growled. “Bridge to Engineering. Commander Wave, how good are you at picking locks?” 

Outside the ship, the mooring points began to glow with a bright emerald hue. Seconds later, they shattered, freeing the Endeavour from her makeshift prison. 

“Good work, Emerald,” Raven said, pleased. “Now then, Miss Dusk ... follow that ship!”

* * *

Meanwhile, Gem awakens to find herself in yet another cocoon, moaning and groaning. The shadowy figure was there, though she could not make out any details. “Welcome back, sleeping beauties... your ship is tied fast at space dock, you will not be rescued. Instead, you will be drained of love and then killed slowly and painfully in whatever ways my Queen sees fit. No one can save you now, and no one will.” 

“Then you also know that we were in contact with the Enterprise before you so rudely interrupted us,” Twilight said angrily. “If the Endeavour can’t come after us, they will, and they’ll have all of Starfleet that they can muster behind them!” 

Two explosions ring out through the small ship. “You were saying about not being saved?” Gem said smugly.

* * *

“The ship is maintaining course and speed, Commander,” Adagio reported, “although they won’t be able to get far without another ship in the area to dock with.” 

“Commander!” Aria shouted, “There, on the viewer!” 

She pointed to a distorted area of space, a distortion that seemed to be moving. “Bearing 87 degrees, on intercept course with the scout ship!” Adagio announced. 

“Probably Romulans,” Raven snarls. “Fire photon torpedoes! Let’s give them something to think about!” 

Four photon torpedoes streak away from the Endeavour. Two explode in the area of the cloaked ship’s engines, while the other two detonate around the outer edges of the ship. The ship becomes visible for a moment, revealing a Romulan bird of prey, before exploding into a large cloud of dust. 

“Did our torpedoes do that, Commander Dazzle?” Raven demanded. 

“No, ma’am. The ship self-detonated when it became visible.” She checks her status board. “The scout ship is slowing, not sure if they’re surrendering.” 

A pencil-thin beam blazed from the scout ship, striking the Endeavour’s shields. 

Raven cocked an eyebrow. “Really?” she asked rhetorically. “Enough messing around, Miss Dazzle. Fire phasers, target their engines and weapons.” 

“Aye,” Adagio says, and fires. Four more torpedoes hit the ship’s weapons systems and engines, causing it to stall and for the beam of light to go out. 

In desperation, the shadowed figure grabs a phaser and points it at Gem’s head, then opens a hailing frequency with the Endeavour. “Call off your weapons, Endeavour!” they snarl, “or your captain dies!” 

“No,” Raven says flatly. “Miss Dazzle, fire the tickle bomb.” A photon torpedo flew out and detonated, washing the ship in a bright pink light as those aboard began to laugh uncontrollably. In the confusion that followed, Raven beamed aboard and grabbed Gem and Twilight, beamed back to the safety of the Endeavour, and finally intoned “Orbital Friendship Cannon, now!” A rainbow of light flew from the Endeavour, surrounding the lone scout ship and sending it flying back toward Earth. 

Gem smiled at Raven. “About time you showed up, sis.” 

Raven chuckled. “Traffic was heavy.” 

* * *

_“Captain’s log, stardate 81472.3. Starfleet Command has been warned of the changeling threat and outfitted with the modified tricorders created by Dustin and Emerald, and Queen Calyx has assured me that her granddaughter’s changelings will mostly be busy licking their wounds for a while, but she has promised to keep in contact with us in case anything changes. Mr. Iscariot has been taken to Earth, where he remains under a magical nullification spell for the duration of his trial and eventual sentencing. As for us...”_

The senior officers grouped together not in Ten Forward, but Gem’s ready room. Gem smiled warmly and embraced each of them, dressed casually given the lateness of the hour. “Not quite how I planned to celebrate a year of adventures, but given our luck, it could’ve been a lot worse,” she says. 

Dustin, arm draped around Sonata, nodded. “The way things have been going for us, it’s lucky we even made it a full year.” 

“Guess that shows how tough we Equestrians really are, when it counts,” Raven said.

“Kinda makes me wonder what our next year is gonna be like,” Adagio said wryly. 

Gem chuckles. “Indeed... probably filled with as many ups and downs as this one. But as long as I remain captain of this vessel, two things will always be true: one, we are a family. And two, our mission has always been, and will always be, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, and most of all...” 

“To boldly go where no one has gone before,” everyone says, as the Endeavour warps off into the great unknown. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prelude to the war that will consume Gem's attention in another couple of books.


End file.
